A heavy security presence was observed at the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory on Thursday as over 200 armed police officers were deployed ahead of the scheduled arraignment of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan on defamation-related charges.
Security personnel, armed and strategically positioned around the court premises, maintained tight surveillance to forestall any disturbance before, during, or after the legal proceedings.
As of the time of reporting, the courtroom was filled with a number of politicians, believed to be loyalists of former Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello, in anticipation of the 11 a.m. session.
Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan, who represents Kogi Central Senatorial District, had not arrived at the court premises at that point.
However, her supporters—including former Minister of Education Oby Ezekwesili and several human rights advocates—were already in attendance.
The lawmaker is being prosecuted on a three-count defamation charge filed by the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice.
The charges are linked to statements she allegedly made regarding Senate President Godswill Akpabio and former Kogi Governor Yahaya Bello.
Also present in court was a legal team led by Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) Roland Otaru, who is expected to represent the senator during the proceedings.
