Suspended Kogi Central Senator, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, has petitioned Nigeria’s Inspector General of Police Kayode Egbetokun, demanding urgent probe of Senate President Godswill Akpabio and a Facebook influencer, Sandra Duru, popularly known as “Prof. Mgbeke”, over what her lawyers described as serial blackmail and defamation.
In the petition dated 15th May, 2025 and signed by her lawyer, Dr. Ehiogie West-Idahosa SAN, the senator demanded “an urgent investigation of Senator Godswill Obot Akpabio (President of the Senate) for orchestrating a malicious campaign of criminal defamation, cyber-stalking, conspiracy, and attempted assassination” against her.
She noted that the petition was supported by incontrovertible evidence from public broadcasts, witness testimonies, media reports, and expert analyses, the lawyers said the documents demonstrate a deliberate retaliatory campaign by Senator Akpabio, using proxies and resources at his disposal, to harm Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan’s reputation, jeopardize her safety, and obstruct justice after she accused him of sexual harassment.
Part of the petition reads: “In the weeks following our client’s suspension from the Senate, a previously unknown individual styling herself as ‘Professor Mgbeke’ began publishing sympathetic commentaries on Facebook, offering scholarly support to what she described as ‘the persecution of women in politics.’
The petitioner is seeking for a comprehensive probe into the allegations made by Sandra Duru, including individuals allegedly involved in planning, funding, and execution.
Other demands include a forensic examination of electronic evidence, including doctored audio recordings, call logs, and digital files, as well as an “urgent request for security measures for Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan and key witnesses to ensure their safety”.
The petitioner also requested the indictment and prosecution of all culpable individuals to uphold justice and that the Police thoroughly investigate the veracity of all statements made by “Prof. Mgbeke” (now revealed to be Sandra Duru) during and after the 1st May 2025 broadcast, including all communications between her and known associates of Senator Akpabio.
According to her, the attacks by Duru against her came after her suspension by the senate following the allegations made against the senate president
“Shortly after the sexual harassment claim and suspension, our client observed a sudden surge of defamatory propaganda against her on social media and in certain press outlets. Evidence now shows that this was no organic backlash, but a coordinated smear campaign sponsored by Senator Akpabio as a form of revenge.
“It is pertinent to highlight further evidence demonstrating the operational nexus between Senator Godswill Akpabio and Dr Sandra Duru. As inadvertently revealed during her live broadcast of 1st May 2025, Dr Duru’s call log displayed multiple contacts, including ‘My Daddy Directline,’ ‘IGP Kayode’, ‘Senator Akpabio’ (with at least two saved numbers), ‘Oby Ndukwe’ (the media aide to the Senate President, who later appeared on Politics Today with Seun Okinbaloye to publicly condemn our client), and ‘CP Imo Aboki Danjuma’ as well as ‘Senator Ned Nwoko,’”
According to the petitioner, the presence of these names, particularly those occupying high-level positions within Nigeria’s security architecture, strongly suggests that Senator Akpabio and Dr Duru were acting in concert, possibly with the support or knowledge of certain police officials.
To further establish her claims, the petitioner alleged that Monday Ubani, SAN, a Senior Legislative Aide to Senator Akpabio and also his counsel on record before the Sexual Harassment petition hearing before the Senate committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions, publicly eulogised ‘Prof. Mgbeke’, praising her courage and purported factual expositions.
The petitioner alleges that Ubani’s praise of ‘Prof. Mgbeke’ suggests insider awareness and tacit approval from Akpabio’s inner circle.
(Editor: Paul Akhagbemhe)
