Further documents showed she (Duru) was previously declared wanted over allegations of obtaining money under false pretence.

A Lagos State magistrate court had in 2017 issued a warrant of arrest for Duru following her failure to appear in court after being granted recognisance.

The warrant reads in part: “Warrant to arrest a person failing to appear pursuant to recognisance… Whereas Sandra Duru of 19A Community Road, off Allen, Ikeja, Lagos State is bound by recognisance to appear before the court on the 31st of July, 2017, but has failed to do so. You are hereby commanded to arrest the said Sandra Duru and bring her before me at Chief Magistrate Court 1, Tinubu.”

A source also confirmed to SaharaReporters on Friday that Duru listed as number four on the witness list was declared wanted, with a warrant of arrest issued against her in 2016.

The source added that she is now expected to testify as a witness, despite being a fugitive who fled the country when a case was filed against her at the time.

“The woman listed as number four on the witness list was declared wanted and fled the country. There’s an active warrant for her arrest. Yet now, she’s being called as a key witness in a case against someone else. It raises serious questions,” the source said.

The Nigeria Senate in March suspended Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan for six months for allegedly violating the Senate Standing Rules.

The suspension followed her accusation against Senate President Godswill Akpabio, whom she alleged sexually harassed her.

In another court document dated January 12, 2016, obtained by SaharaReporters in a case between the Commissioner of Police and Mrs. Sandra Duru, the defendant was charged on three counts.

 The case was filed in the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, in the Abuja Judicial Division, sitting in Abuja.

According to the document, Duru was alleged to have threatened to kill one Mrs. Edith Adefunke Edidot within seven days and also threatened to assassinate her character through a series of phone text messages.

The document further revealed that Duru fraudulently obtained the sum of ten million naira (N10,000,000.00) from Mrs. Edith Adefunke Edidot, knowing the claim to be false.

This act constitutes an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 312, Subsections (1)(a) and (2) of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2011.

The court read, “That you Mrs. Duru Eluiobi Sandral ‘f sometimes in August, 2015 at about 1300hrs at Badore Ajah in Eti-Osa Local Government Area, in the Lagos Magisterial District did felony to wit obtaining money under false pretence and. thereby committed an offence punishable under section 311 of the Criminal Laws of Lagos State of Nigeria, 2011.

“COUNT II: “That you Mrs. Duru Eluiobi Sandral ‘f’ on the same date, time and place in the aforementioned Magisterial District did fraudulently obtained the sum of ten million naira (N10,000,000.00) from Mrs. Edith Adefunke Edidot ‘f knowing same to be false pretence and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under section 312 sub section (1)(a) and (2) of the criminal laws of Lagos State, 2011.

“COUNT III: That you Mrs. Duru Eluiobi Sandral ‘f’ on the same date, time and place in the aforementioned Magisterial District did threatened to kill one Mrs. Edith Adefunke Edidot ‘f’ under seven days and also assassinate her character through series of phone text messages and thereby committed an offence punishable under section 230 of the criminal laws of Lagos State, 2011.”

SaharaReporters had reported days ago that the family of whistleblower and media activist, Obinna Oparaku Akuwudike, raised the alarm over his continued detention and incommunicado status, three weeks after his arrest by officers of the Nigeria Police Force.

The officers were allegedly acting on the orders of the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun.

Sources familiar with the Akuwudike’s case insist that the arrest is linked to Akuwudike’s statements during an interview, in which he claimed he was paid ₦2.5 million by Sandra Duru, popularly known as Prof Mgbeke, to create defamatory content targeting Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan.

He claimed that Duru was acting under the directive and financial sponsorship of Nigeria’s Senate President, Godswill Akpabio.

“I received money for producing videos but grew concerned after noticing inconsistencies in Duru’s public statements,” Akuwudike had said during the interview, adding that he backed out of the assignment after realising it was a coordinated smear campaign filled with falsehood.

“After that livestream and other things, I began to uncover, I knew I had to come clean. Everything she said about Natasha was fabricated lies,” he added.

The Nigerian government has initiated legal proceedings against Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan for criminal defamation, following her claims that Senate President Akpabio and former Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello conspired to assassinate her.

The case, filed before the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, names the Federal Republic of Nigeria as the complainant, with Natasha as the sole defendant.