Natasha: Did ICC Issue Arrest Warrant For Akpabio? Fact Emerges

• The report that the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued an 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

Legit.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 falsely reported to have issued an arrest warrant for the president of the Nigerian Senate, Godswill Akpabio, over the ongoing controversy with suspended Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan.

A Facebook page, All-Hubs, claimed in a post on Monday, March 24, 2025, that the ICC had issued an arrest warrant for Akpabio.

Read also:

Police Arrest 2 Pakistanis Over Alleged Kidnap Of Fellow Countryman In Lagos

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 video evidence against Akpabio.

Verification of alleged ICC arrest warrant

According to the 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 Akpoti-Uduagban.

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 outlet that reported the alleged arrest warrant against Akpabio.

Read also:

Big Loss Hits Dangote As His Sugar Company Declines In Profit

This further questions the authenticity of the claim as reported on the Facebook page.

Conclusion on alleged arrest warrant by ICC

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

Recall 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 never received such an amount of money from Senator Akpabio.

Akpoti-Uduaghan challenged those behind the allegation to provide credible evidence to back their claims.

Legit.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 Akpoti-Uduaghan's sexual harassment case

Meanwhile, Legit.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.