Professor Sandra Duru (Prof. Mgbeke) has dismissed claims suggesting that Senate President Godswill Akpabio is behind the ongoing public controversy involving her and Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, describing such insinuations as false, misleading, and unsupported by facts.
In response to Prof. Duru’s Legal Disclaimer posted on her Facebook page on Friday, Swift Reporters reached out to Prof. Duru, and she categorically denied allegations that her public position on the matter was motivated by the expectation of rewards from Senator Akpabio. The allegation was reportedly circulated online by Hamisa Lamisi, a legislative aide to Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan.
“I categorically deny, in totality, the false and malicious claim that my position on any matter is for reward purposes,” Duru said. “This allegation is defamatory, unsubstantiated, and completely divorced from facts.”
She stressed that at no time had she received, requested, or negotiated any form of benefit from Senator Akpabio or from any other individual, insisting that her interventions were driven strictly by principles and verifiable facts.
“My interventions are evidence-based, principle-driven, and grounded in documented facts,” she stated.
Prof. Duru further clarified that Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan was the one who initially contacted her, countering narratives suggesting that she was acting at the behest of the Senate President or any external influence. According to her, developments that followed were based on issues she considered grave and deserving of formal attention.
She disclosed that she had since petitioned the Inspector General of Police (IGP) over serious allegations, including claims relating to organ harvesting, noting that the petitions are already on the official record.
In addition, Prof. Duru revealed that she had filed a separate petition to the IGP challenging the Head of the IGP Monitoring Unit, Akin Fakorede, over what she described as false allegations and derogatory remarks allegedly made by another legislative aide to Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan, Hamza Lamisi.
The petition, she said, also addresses defamatory claims questioning her mental stability.
“It is the duty of the Nigeria Police Force to compel both Akin Fakorede and Hamza Lamisi to produce concrete proof of these allegations, including any certified medical report,” Duru said. “Failing this, such statements remain malicious falsehoods and actionable defamation.”
Her clarification comes amid growing public speculation linking Senate President Akpabio to the controversy. Prof. Duru’s statements, however, seek to firmly distance the Senate President from the dispute, insisting that the issues arose independently and should be addressed strictly based on facts and due process.
