Natasha: Did ICC Issue Arrest Warrant For Akpabio? Fact Emerges
- The report that International Criminal Court (ICC) issued a arrest warrant on Senator Godswill Akpabio is false
- A Facebook page, All-Hubs, claimed the ICC had placed the Nigerian Senate President on its sanctions list
- According to the post, the ICC also directed President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration to take action against Akpabio
TheTalk.NG journalist Adekunle Dada has over 7 years of experience covering metro, government policy, and international events
FCT, Abuja – The International Criminal Court (ICC) has been falsefully reported to have issued an arrest warrant for President of the Nigerian Senate, Godswill Akpabio over the ongoing controversial with suspended Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan.
A Facebook page, All-Hubs, made the claim in a post on Monday, March 24, 2025, that the ICC had issued an arrest warrant for Akpabio.
ICC’s jurisdiction does not cover sexual harassment as Godswill Akpabio-Natasha Akoti Uduahagha saga entails.
Photo credit: @NGRSenateSource: Twitter
Part of the post read:
“In a shocking development, the International Criminal Court (ICC) has issued an international arrest warrant for Nigerian Senate President Godswill Akpabio, placing him on its sanctions list. The ICC has ordered his immediate arrest if sighted in any member country.”
The Facebook page claimed that the ICC has formally requested President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration to take action after reviewing a video evidence against Akpabio.
Verification
According to ICC website, its jurisdiction primarily covers genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity, and the crime of aggression.
Clearly, this is not in line with the individual sexual harassment cases such as that of Akpabio and Natasha.
DUBAWA, a fact-checking media platform found out there was no mention of any arrest warrant for Akpabio on the ICC’s official website, press releases, and case listings to confirm the authenticity of the claim.
There is also no reputable Nigerian or international media outlets reported the alleged arrest warrant against Akpabio.
This further questions the authenticity of the claim as reported in the facebook page.
Conclusion
The ICC can not be traced to have issued any official statement asking for the arrest of Akpabio over the sexual harassment allegation made against him by Natasha.
The report of the arrest warrant for Akpabio also cannot be found on any credible news platform.
To further establish that the claim is false sexual harassment cases do not fall within the ICC’s jurisdiction
TheTalk.NG earlier reported that Akpoti-Uduaghan reacted to claim that she received ₦500 million from Senate President Godswill Akpabio.
The Kogi Central denied the claim, stating that she has never received such amount of money from Senator Akpabio.
Akpoti-Uduaghan challenged those behind the allegation to provide credible evidence to back their claims.
There is no official confirmation from the ICC that arrest warrant has been issued for Godswill Akpabio.
Photo credit: Godswill Obot AkpabioSource: Facebook
TheTalk.NG reported that Akpoti-Uduaghan released a poem she titled “Natasha’s Rhythm of Victory”.
The suspended Kogi Central senator released the poem amid the attempt to recall her from the Nigerian Senate.
Recall that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had officially received a petition seeking the recall of Akpoti-Uduaghan from the Nigerian Senate.
Senate announces final decision on Natasha’s sexual harassment case
Meanwhile, TheTalk.NG reported that the Senate Committee on Ethics declared Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan’s sexual harassment case against Senate President Godswill Akpabio as “closed,” citing ongoing legal proceedings.
Akpoti-Uduaghan’s lawyer requested the committee chairman, Neda Imaseun, to step down over bias concerns, but the Senate dismissed the plea, citing procedural violations in the petition.
Despite the Senate’s decision, Akpoti-Uduaghan has filed a contempt suit against Imaseun and Akpabio over her suspension, shifting the dispute to the courts.
Source: TheTalk.NG
