By Angela Atabo
Committee for the Defence of Justice and Equity, a coalition promoting justice, fairness, and accountability, has called on security agencies to investigate allegations of bribery and integrity concerns surrounding Sen. Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan and Dr Oby Ezekwesili.
The National Coordinator of the group, Peter Nwokolo,made the call at a news conference on Monday in Abuja.
Nwokolo said the committee demanded that security agencies invite relevant parties, including Dr Sandra Duru, a United States-based activist who has publicly accused Akpoti-Uduaghan of orchestrating a scheme involving financial inducement to propagate falsehoods.
“Sen. Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, elected to represent Kogi Central Senatorial District, engaged in accusations of sexual harassment, assassination attempts, and organ harvesting, directed at high-ranking officials.
“Despite a subsisting court order restraining both parties from making inflammatory statements, she has persisted, defying appeals from colleagues, civil society, and her constituents to exercise restraint and uphold decorum.
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“The Committee has observed that these claims appear calculated to sow discord, undermine the legislative process, and distract from the pressing needs of Kogi Central, where her constituents expect meaningful representation focused on development and progress.”
Nwokolo said that Dr Sandra Duru,revealed that Akpoti-Uduaghan offered her N200 million to falsely implicate a high-ranking official in organ harvesting, an offer Duru claims she rejected on ethical grounds.
“More disturbingly, Duru alleges that during a recorded phone conversation, Akpoti-Uduaghan confessed to paying Dr Oby Ezekwesili, a former Minister of Education and prominent activist, a similar sum to lend credibility to her accusations and disrupt Senate proceedings related to her petition.
“Duru claims to have submitted phone logs of these conversations for forensic analysis, asserting that they contain Akpoti Uduaghan’s admission of recruiting Ezekwesili and others as “accomplices” to advance her agenda.
“While these logs remain unverified publicly as of May 4, the severity of the allegations demands urgent scrutiny.
“If substantiated, they point to a coordinated effort to manipulate public discourse and undermine Nigeria’s democratic institutions through financial inducement and fabricated narratives.”
Nwokolo said a thorough and impartial investigation into Duru’s allegations was necessary adding that it should include forensic analysis.
He said this was because failure to address these claims transparently risked further eroding public trust and compromising Nigeria’s democratic stability.
He said there was need for both individuals to issue public statements clarifying their roles in this controversy, refuting or admitting to the allegations of financial inducement, and outlining any interactions that may have contributed to these claims.
He also urged the international community, including anti-corruption bodies and governance watchdogs to monitor the investigation to ensure transparency and accountability, given the global implications of such allegations on democratic integrity.
“Nigeria stands at a pivotal moment, striving for economic and social progress amid global scrutiny.
“The Committee for the Defence of Justice and Equity cannot overstate the urgency of resolving this controversy to safeguard the nation’s democratic institutions and restore public confidence.
“The spectacle of alleged bribery and malicious falsehoods must end, and those responsible must face the consequences of their actions.”
He called on all Nigerians and the international community to join in demanding accountability from Akpoti-Uduaghan and Dr Oby Ezekwesili.
