Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has sent a clear message to the Tinubu-led administration to “immediately drop the criminal defamation lawsuit against Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan.”
Senator Natasha, representing Kogi Central Constituency, is currently facing charges at the Federal Capital Territory High Court in Abuja following her “defamatory statements” against Godswill Akpabio, President of the Senate, on live television.
Senator Natasha is serving a six-month suspension from the Ethics Committee of the Senate after her sexual harassment claims against Akpabio.
The non-profit body said via a statement posted on its official X account, that, authorities must drop the “bogus” criminal defamation charges against Senator Natasha immediately.
SERAP said, “the National Assembly must urgently decriminalize defamation in Nigeria.”
Via its statement, SERAP said: “The Tinubu administration must immediately drop the criminal defamation lawsuit against Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, who is facing ‘charges’ at the Federal Capital Territory High Court, Maitama, in Abuja of ‘making defamatory statements against the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio’, during a live television broadcast.
“This case makes a mockery of justice and strikes a grave blow to freedom of expression and the rule of law in Nigeria. No one should ever be targeted or charged simply for peacefully exercising their human rights.
“Nigerian authorities should safeguard, not stifle freedom of expression.
“Authorities must immediately drop the bogus criminal defamation charges against Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan and stop targeting citizens simply for the peaceful exercise of their human rights.
“Criminal defamation laws and lawsuits are inconsistent and incompatible with section 39 of the Nigerian Nigerian Constitution 1999 [as amended] and the country’s international international obligations to protect freedom of expression, including under the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights to which Nigeria is a state party.
“The National Assembly must urgently decriminalize defamation in Nigeria.”
