Court strikes out FG’s criminal charges against Natasha

Natasha

An Abuja High Court, on Thursday, struck out the criminal charges instituted by the Federal Government against the lawmaker representing Kogi Central, Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, effectively bringing to an end a high-profile legal battle that sparked national debate.

Court records showed that the Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation filed a Notice of Discontinuance, prompting the court to formally strike out the criminal defamation and related charges that had been earlier preferred against the senator.

The case, which attracted intense public scrutiny, stemmed from comments allegedly made by Akpoti-Uduaghan during a televised interview.

The prosecution of the matter had generated sustained debate around freedom of expression, political accountability and the limits of prosecutorial powers in a democratic setting. Punch