Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan has accused the Nigerian Police Force of deliberate bias and preferential treatment in handling criminal petitions against Senate President Godswill Akpabio and former Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello.
In a letter dated May 19, 2025, and addressed to the Attorney General of the Federation, her legal counsel, Dr. Ehiogie West-Idahosa (SAN), alleged that the police had failed to act on multiple petitions submitted by the senator, while swiftly pursuing a counter-petition filed against her by Akpabio.
“Our client submitted numerous petitions to the Nigerian Police… Yet, no significant efforts have been made to impartially investigate the said petitions,” the letter stated.
Among the ignored petitions are allegations of assassination plots, threats to life, and the withdrawal of her security details. These petitions, dated between March 25 and April 4, 2025, were formally acknowledged by the police but remain dormant, according to her lawyers.
By contrast, the police allegedly moved with “unusual speed” on Akpabio’s April 3 petition accusing Akpoti-Uduaghan of criminal defamation and incitement. She was summoned, made a statement under caution, and reaffirmed her earlier allegations—yet her supporting evidence, the lawyers claim, was excluded from the case file.
“It is obvious that this unwillingness to thoroughly and impartially investigate… may be due to the high political office occupied by Senator Godswill Akpabio,” the letter added, stressing that Bello no longer enjoys any constitutional immunity.
Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan is now calling on the Attorney General to invoke Section 105(3) of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA) 2015 to retrieve the police case files and ensure an unbiased review of all complaints.
The legal team says the senator’s rights are being undermined and insists the issue strikes at the heart of the Constitution and the rule of law.
Attached to the petition are police acknowledgements and detailed witness statements, which her lawyers say substantiate all allegations and demand urgent, equal treatment under the law.