Natasha: Court Documents Reveal FG’s Witness is a Fugitive

.Allegedly escaped arrest in 2017

Alex Enumah in Abuja

A mild drama is set to play out in the scheduled arraignment of the Senator representing Kogi Central Senatorial District, at the National Assembly, Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, following revelations that one of the witnesses listed by the prosecution, Dr. Sandra Duru, also known as Prof. Mgbeke, is a fugitive, who allegedly fled Nigeria in 2017, to avoid prosecution in a fraud-related case.

The federal government had filed a criminal charge against Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan for allegedly defaming the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio and the immediate past governor of Kogi State, Mr. Yahaya Bello.

The charge dated May 15, but filed May 16, by the Director, Public Prosecutions of the Federation, Mr. M. B. Abubakar, specifically accused Akpoti-Uduaghan of making statements that would harm the reputation of a person.

According to the charge, the Kogi senator who is currently under suspension from the senate made the alleged harmful statement during a live broadcast on a national television programme aired on April 3, 2025 wherein she was said to have accused the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio and former Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello of plotting to assassinate her.

While the federal government is the complainant in the suit, Akpoti-Uduaghan is the sole defendant.

Both Akpabio and Bello who are nominal complainants in the suit were listed as witnesses, alongside Senator Asuquo Ekpeyong, Dr. Sandra Duru, ACP Maya Ilya and SP Abdulhafiz Garba.

However, a Certified True Copy (CTC) of court documents showed that a Lagos State Magistrate Court had in 2017, ordered both the police and all court officials to arrest Duru, for her to answer to fraud and alleged threat to life charge filed against her by the police in charge number: A/06/2016.

According to the documents cited by THISDAY yesterday evening, the order was sequel to the defendant’s failure to make herself available for trial in the three count criminal charge brought against her by the police.

Specifically, she was said to have defrauded one Mrs. Edith Adefunke Edidot, the sum of N10 million and also threatened to cause her death.

However, following her refusal to present herself for trial, the court on August 3, 2017, issued a warrant for her arrest.

“Warrant to Arrest A Person Failing to Appear Pursuant to Recognisance.

“To all Police officers and all court officials.

“Whereas Duru Eluiobi Sandra of 19A, Community Road, of Allen, Ikeja, Lagos is bound by recognisance to appear before the court on July 31, 2017, but has failed to appear.

“You are hereby commanded to arrest the said Duru Eluiobi Sandra and bring him before me at Chief Magistrate Court 1, Tinubu, without delay,” the said order issued by Magistrate A. B. Ayeye read.

Meanwhile another document showed that the police on January 12, 2016 had arraigned Duru on a three-count charge bordering on alleged fraud, threat to life and character assassination.

According to the CTC signed by one A. O. Mustapha on behalf of the Commissioner for Oath, Lagos State, while the name of the Investigation Police Officer, is Inspector Moses Rinos, the name of the Prosecution has Inspector Thomas Nurudeen.

The document further revealed that Duru was granted bail in the sum of N500,000 with a surety in like sum.

It was also learnt that the surety was imprisoned for three months when she ran away to America, evading arrest for fraud, threat to life and character assassination.

In count one of the charge Duru was said to have, “sometimes in August, 2015’ at about 1300hrs at Badore Ajah in Eti-Osa Local Government Area, in the Lagos – Magisterial District did felony to wit obtaining money under false pretence and thereby committed an offence punishable under section 311 of the Criminal Laws of Lagos State of Nigeria, 2011.

Count two, “That you Mrs. Duru Eluiobi Sandra ‘f on the same date, time and place in the aforementioned Magisterial District did fraudulently obtained the sum of ten million naira (N10,000,000.00) from Mrs. Edith Adefunke Edidot ‘f’ knowing same to be false pretence and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under section 312 sub section (1)(a) and (2) of the criminal laws of Lagos State, 2011.

Count three, “That you Mrs. Duru Eluiobi Sandra ‘f on the same date, time and place in the aforementioned Magisterial District did threatened to kill one Mrs. Edith — Adefunke Edidot ‘f’ under seven days and also assassinate her character through series of phone text messages and thereby committed an offence – punishable under Section 230 of the criminal laws of Lagos State, 2011.

Meanwhile, Duru, a.k.a Prof. Mgbeke is expected to testify against the Kogi senator when the federal government opens its case of criminal defamation against her.

In count one of the charge, the police alleged that Akpoti-Uduaghan made imputation “knowing or having reason to believe that such imputation will harm the reputation of a person, contrary to Section 391 of the Penal Code Law, Cap. 89, Laws of the Federation, 1990, and punishable under Section 392 of the same Law.

According to the charge, the defendant had on or about April 3, 2025, during a live studio interview programme, “Politics Today”, aired on a national television in Abuja, made the following imputation concerning Senator Akpabio, which include:

“It was part of the meeting, the discussions that Akpabio had with Yahaya Bello that night… to eliminate me.”

“Let’s ask the Senate President, why in the first instance did he withdraw my security, if not to make me vulnerable to attacks…”

“He then emphasised that I should be killed, but I should be killed in Kogi.”

Akpoti-Uduaghan was in count two accused of making similar imputation concerning the immediate former governor of Kogi State, Bello.

In count three, the FG claimed that Akpoti-Uduaghan had on or about March 27, 2025, during a two-way telephone conversation with one Sandra C. Duru in Abuja, “made the following imputation concerning Senator Godswill Obot Akpabio, GCON, to wit:

“…That girl that was killed, what’s her name, umm Imoren Iniubong… her organs were actually used for the wife, because the wife was really ill… when they killed the girl, and her organs were used for the wife.”

The complainant claimed that Akpoti-Uduaghan knew or had reason to believe that such imputation would harm the reputation of Senator Akpabio.

The arraignment scheduled for two weeks ago could not proceed as planned due to the then-judiciary workers’ strike and a new date was fixed by the court.