...citing Akpabio and AGF withdrawal of suit
A police investigation has indicted Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan over allegations that she accused Senate President Godswill Akpabio of involvement in the murder of the late Iniobong Umoren and the alleged harvesting of her organs.
According to the investigation report, Akpoti-Uduaghan allegedly made the claims during a conversation with a United States-based woman. The report, dated February 3, 2026, was signed by the Commissioner of Police, Police Monitoring Unit, Force Headquarters, Abuja, Akin Fakorede, and addressed to Ms. Sandra Duru.
ImoTimes gathered that Duru had earlier petitioned the Inspector-General of Police in April 2025, alleging that Akpoti-Uduaghan contacted her on March 27, 2025. During the call, the senator reportedly claimed that Akpabio and his wife, Unoma, were responsible for the killing of Iniobong Umoren and the harvesting of her organs to “treat” the Senate president’s wife.
Duru claimed that upon receiving the allegation, she reported the matter to the police and requested a comprehensive investigation.
The conflict between Akpabio and Akpoti-Uduaghan reportedly began in February 2025, when the Kogi Central senator accused the Senate leadership, under Akpabio, of marginalisation and unfair treatment—allegations the Senate president consistently denied.
Subsequently, Akpoti-Uduaghan was suspended from the Senate for six months. She also accused Akpabio of sexual harassment, an allegation he denied. The dispute later spilled into the public space through media interviews and social media exchanges, intensifying political tensions between both lawmakers.
According to Premium Times, the police report disclosed that Akpoti-Uduaghan was invited by investigators and made a cautionary statement on April 28, 2025, in which she denied making the allegation.
Another key witness, Ina Okopi Agu—who allegedly provided Duru’s phone number to Akpoti-Uduaghan—was also invited and gave a voluntary statement confirming how the contact between both parties was established.
The police further revealed that a forensic voice analysis conducted on the audio recording of the conversation confirmed that the voice heard was human.
Investigators were also deployed to Akwa Ibom State to re-examine the circumstances surrounding Iniobong Umoren’s murder. This included a review of the post-mortem report, court trial records, and interviews with members of her family.
“The post-mortem examination clearly showed that no organ of the deceased was missing or compromised,” the report stated.
It further noted that Umoren’s family members confirmed that no organs were removed from her body.
Certified true copies of the trial records of Uduak Frank Akpan—who was convicted and sentenced to death in 2021 for Umoren’s murder—were also reviewed by the police.
The investigation concluded that the allegation of organ harvesting allegedly relayed to Duru by Akpoti-Uduaghan was “false and without any iota of truth whatsoever.”
The report further stated that Akpabio and his wife “had absolutely nothing to do” with Umoren’s murder or any alleged organ harvesting.
Following Duru’s petition and the outcome of the investigation, the Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation filed criminal defamation charges against Akpoti-Uduaghan at the Federal Capital Territory High Court on March 29, 2025.
The three-count charge was instituted under Sections 391 and 392 of the Penal Code applicable in the FCT.
However, the police disclosed that the case did not proceed to full trial after Akpabio chose to discontinue the prosecution. This decision prompted the Attorney-General to apply for the withdrawal of the charges in accordance with constitutional provisions.
The police praised Duru for what they described as her “patriotism and courage” in reporting the allegation and cooperating with investigators, noting that her actions helped resolve public controversy surrounding the matter for several months.
Efforts by Premium Times to obtain comments from Akpoti-Uduaghan were unsuccessful, as calls placed to her known phone number did not connect.