The Federal Government of Nigeria has filed criminal charges against one of the only four female senators in the Nigerian Senate, Senator Natasha Akpoti Uduaghan. On June 3, 2025, she is expected to appear before a court, not because she has misappropriated public funds or betrayed her office, but because she dared to speak out against alleged sexual harassment by the President of the Senate. Instead of encouraging a transparent investigation and allowing her to tender evidence in pursuit of justice, the state has chosen to pursue her through criminal prosecution. This is not a search for the truth. It is a punishment for courage.

At the heart of the prosecution’s case is a deeply troubling figure. Sandra Duru, who also goes by the alias “Professor Mgbeke,” is widely known for her false academic claims, fraudulent behavior, and history of blackmail and impersonation. She has presented herself as a doctor and professor with no proof, has no known legitimate source of income, and reportedly survives on government welfare in the United States. She has used online platforms to defame others and is rumored to have a felony record and unresolved immigration issues. That the Nigerian government would rely on such an individual as its principal witness against a sitting senator raises grave concerns. It tarnishes the credibility of the justice system and makes a mockery of due process.

If it is indeed true that Ms. Duru was planted to pose as a sympathizer, to befriend Senator Natasha and extract private information only to turn it over for political purposes, then this is not merely a legal misstep. It is entrapment disguised as prosecution. It is a gross abuse of power and a betrayal of the constitutional guarantee of fairness. This should alarm every citizen who believes in the sanctity of law and the responsibility of government to protect, not persecute, its people.

Your Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, I appeal to your conscience. You are no stranger to state repression. You were one of the faces of defiance during Nigeria’s struggle against military rule. You suffered exile and persecution for championing democracy, civil liberties, and good governance. Today, you are at the helm of that same republic. It is under your watch that a woman is being dragged to court, not for wrongdoing, but for naming her abuser. This is not the Nigeria you fought to build. This is not the democracy you envisioned when you stood against the military’s grip on our country. If your administration becomes known for silencing women and shielding power through legal intimidation, history will not be kind.

I also call on Senator Michael Opeyemi Bamidele, fondly known as MOB, the current Leader of the Nigerian Senate. Many of us remember your days as a student activist in the early 1990s, your sharp legal mind and your fearless commitment to justice. You were a symbol of resistance and one of the few who stood up when silence would have been safer. Today, you occupy a position of great influence. You are no longer at the margins of power. You are within the walls where decisions are made and wrongs can be righted. The world is watching you. History is watching you. Will you speak now, or will you be silent when your voice matters most?

This moment is larger than Senator Natasha. It is about the integrity of our institutions, the dignity of our democracy, and the message we send to women and youth across the country. If we allow the courts to be used as weapons against the vulnerable, if we permit those with power to prosecute those who speak truth, then we have surrendered the very principles on which our democracy stands. John Locke warned that where law ends, tyranny begins. The Nigerian justice system must not become a servant of vengeance. It must not be reduced to a theatre of political puppetry.

I urge President Tinubu and all those who still believe in justice to act now. Build a legacy of fairness, not fear. Uphold institutions that endure beyond your administration. Protect the dignity of every Nigerian, regardless of gender, status, or political alignment. Senator Natasha Akpoti Uduaghan deserves justice, not persecution. Her courage should be commended, not criminalized. If we fail to defend her now, we risk losing the very soul of our democratic promise. May we not look back with regret, but act now with resolve, and let history record that we stood on the side of truth when it mattered most.

By Dr. Oludare Ogunlana

Distinguished Cybersecurity Professor, Digital Forensic Examiner, and Principal Investigator, OSRS