Economy
Court Rejects FG’s Application To Remand Natasha, Grants Her N50m Bail In ‘Defamation’ Suit
Court Rejects FG’s Application To Remand Natasha, Grants Her N50m Bail In ‘Defamation’ Suit
Court rejects FG’s application to remand Natasha, grants her N50m bail in ‘defamation’ suit. A federal capital territory (FCT) high court in Maitama has granted bail in the sum of N50 million to Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, senator representing Kogi central.
In a ruling delivered on Thursday, Chizoba Orji, presiding judge, rejected the application by the federal government to remand the Akpoti-Uduaghan in prison custody pending trial.
The judge held that there was no justification to deny Akpoti-Uduaghan bail, noting that there was “sufficient evidence” before the court showing her willingness to face trial.
As part of the bail conditions, the court directed that the senator must produce one surety, who must be a “person of integrity” and owner of a landed property within Abuja.
The matter was subsequently adjourned to September 23 for commencement of trial.
The senator appeared in court on Thursday in the company of her husband, Emmanuel Uduaghan. Also present were Oby Ezekwesili, former minister of education; Aisha Yesufu, human rights activist; and a number of supporters.
Akpoti-Uduaghan was arraigned on a three-count charge bordering on criminal defamation, with the federal government as the complainant. The charges were filed on May 16, 2025, in suit number CR/297/25.
The case lists Godswill Akpabio, the senate president, and former Yahaya Bello, the former governor of Kogi state, as nominal complainants.
According to the charge, the lawmaker was accused of “making imputation knowing or having reason to believe that such imputation will harm the reputation of a person,” an offence under section 391 of the Penal Code, cap 89, Laws of the Federation, 1990, and punishable under section 392.
Akpoti-Uduaghan pleaded not guilty to all the charges.
In one of the counts, the Kogi senator was alleged to have claimed in a television interview that Akpabio and Bello plotted to assassinate her.
She was also accused of making damaging statements about Akpabio during a private phone conversation with one Sandra C. Duru in Abuja on or about March 27, 2025.
The charges follow a series of confrontations between the lawmaker and the senate leadership, which culminated in her suspension from the red chamber on March 6 for what the leadership described as “gross misconduct”.
The suspension followed an altercation involving seating arrangements and what Akpoti-Uduaghan later described as harassment by Akpabio.
She has since insisted that her suspension was illegal and a ploy to silence her, while rejecting the senate’s claim that it was unrelated to the harassment allegation.

Senator Natasha Akpoti
In the weeks following her suspension, the senator submitted several petitions and made public accusations against Akpabio, including the assassination plot claim.
In April, Akpabio petitioned the inspector-general of police, Kayode Egbetokun, demanding an investigation and the prosecution of Akpoti-Uduaghan for “criminal defamation, incitement, false accusation, and conduct likely to cause a breach of peace”.
Bello also petitioned the IGP over similar claims made by the senator, specifically alleging that he was behind efforts to initiate a recall process against her.
Economy
Lagos Assembly Strongly Seeks Suspension Of Makoko Demolition
Lagos Assembly Strongly Seeks Suspension Of Makoko Demolition
Lagos assembly strongly seeks suspension of Makoko demolition. The Lagos state house of assembly has called for the suspension of demolition activities in Makoko, Oko-Agbon and Shogunro waterfront communities following protests by displaced residents and growing public concern over the exercise.
The call was announced on Tuesday by Noheem Adams, chairman of an ad hoc committee set up by Mudashiru Obasa, speaker of the house, during a stakeholders’ meeting held at the Lateef Jakande auditorium.
Adams called on all state ministries to cease demolition work and promised compensation to the affected residents.
“On behalf of the speaker and all 40 members of the house, we are directing that all demolitions in Makoko, Oko-Agbon, and Shogunro communities should stop from today until further notice,” New Telegraph quoted Adams as saying.
He called for transparency by demanding the full list of taskforce members and the criteria used for engagement, insisting that residents must be actively involved in the process.
“That the taskforce that was constituted, we want to see the list of the taskforce because we want the residents to be duly involved and to be carried along. So we want to have the schedule of those task forces and the criteria for those that we are inviting,” Adams added.

Lagos Assembly
“To the residents of Makoko, Oko-Agbon and Shogunro communities, as your representatives, we are giving you all assurances that they will stop demolitions henceforth and there will be compensations for all those whose properties have been demolished.”
Stephen Ogundipe, member of the ad-hoc, said there is need for clear communication, adding that residents targeted for relocation or redevelopment must be informed of the government’s plans in advance.
Babatunde Olajide, special adviser to governor of Lagos on E-GIS and urban renewal, confirmed that $2 million had been earmarked since 2021 to transform Makoko into a modern, internationally compliant water city.
He said enumeration of affected properties is underway and reiterated the administration’s commitment to handling the situation with a human face, prioritizing resident safety and fair compensation.
Yusuf Sagra, baale of Makoko, described the assembly’s decision as a “word of peace,” while Orioye Ogungbure, another leader of the community, praised the “democratic responsiveness” of the government.
Crime
EFCC Arrests Kannywood Star, Samha Inuwa for Alleged Naira Mutilation In Viral Video
EFCC Arrests Kannywood Star, Samha Inuwa for Alleged Naira Mutilation In Viral Video
EFCC arrests Kannywood Star, Samha Inuwa for alleged naira mutilation in viral video. The Kano Zonal Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on Tuesday, February 3, 2026 arrested a Kannywood Star, Samha Inuwa over alleged Naira mutilation.
Inuwa was arrested following a viral video circulated on social media platforms where she was seen conspicuously cleaning mucus from her nose using Naira notes.

EFCC
Following the release of the viral video, the Commission swung into action by tracing and subsequently arrested her to answer questions.
She is currently being held at the Commission’s detention facility while investigation is ongoing.
The suspect will be charged to court upon conclusion of investigations.
Dele Oyewale
Head, Media & Publicity
February 3, 2026
Economy
Access Bank Gets New Board Chair Ifeyinwa Osime
Access Bank Gets New Board Chair Ifeyinwa Osime
Access Bank gets new board chair Ifeyinwa Osime. Access Bank Plc has appointed Ifeyinwa Osime as chair of the board of directors, following the retirement of Paul Usoro, on January 29.
Access Bank Plc has appointed Ifeyinwa Osime as chair of the board of directors, following the retirement of Paul Usoro, on January 29, according to a statement to the Nigerian Exchange Ltd. on Monday.
Ms Osime, a legal practitioner, joined Access Bank’s board in November 2019 as an independent non-executive director and had chaired its Human Resources and Sustainability Committee and the Governance, Nomination, and Remuneration Committee. This role made her contribute significantly to the bank’s corporate governance, leadership development, and sustainability initiatives.
Additionally, Ms Osime is a director at Ebudo Trust Ltd. and a partner at McPherson Legal Practitioners, where she advises on corporate and commercial matters and contributes to strategic leadership.
She is also a member of the Nigerian Bar Association, the Women Corporate Directors, Nigeria Chapter, and the Chartered Institute of Directors, Nigeria, where she serves on the Executive Committee of the Women Sectoral Group.

Access Bank Gets New Board Chair Ifeyinwa Osime
Beyond her professional responsibilities, Ms Osime is committed to mentoring youths and is actively involved in the Autism and Developmental Delays Support Community, reflecting her dedication to inclusion and social impact.
Speaking on her appointment, the group chairman, Aigboje Aig-lmoukhuede, said, “Mrs Osime is a principled and experienced leader with a deep understanding of the Bank’s strategy and values.
“She has demonstrated strong commitment to the bank’s vision and mission, and I am confident that, under her leadership, the bank will continue to advance its strategic objectives of delivering sustainable value to shareholders and other stakeholders in the pursuit of its vision to become the world’s most respected African bank.”
Mr Aig-lmoukhuede also congratulated Mr Usoro on the completion of his tenure and on his exemplary leadership, dedication, and significant contributions to the group, saying he remains a valued member of the Access family.
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