The planned arraignment of Anthonet Izuegbu, a friend of actress Regina Daniels, was on Thursday stalled at the Federal High Court in Abuja following her absence from court.
Izuegbu, also known as “Ann,” is facing allegations bordering on criminal defamation and other claims contained in a petition linked to Senator Ned Nwoko and members of his family.
The matter, which is before Justice Ekerete Akpan, was scheduled for arraignment on July 16, but proceedings could not go ahead after the defendant failed to appear in court.
The case was subsequently adjourned until September 15, 2026.
Izuegbu had earlier attracted public attention after reports emerged that she collapsed during a previous court appearance.
In a statement issued by Senator Nwoko’s media team and made available to journalists, the senator's representatives said Izuegbu was arrested over alleged defamatory statements made against the lawmaker.
According to the statement, the allegations stem from claims purportedly made by Izuegbu accusing Nwoko of physically assaulting his wife, Laila Nwoko, and causing a miscarriage.
The media team described the allegations as false and without factual basis, insisting that no such incident occurred.
They further alleged that the statements formed part of efforts to reinforce what they described as unsubstantiated domestic violence claims against the senator.
The statement also referenced allegations involving Regina Daniels, claiming that Izuegbu was linked to the procurement of an abortion during the actress's marriage to Nwoko.
According to the media team, the matter had previously been referenced publicly and remained part of information supplied to investigators.
The team further disclosed that a witness statement submitted to the Maitama Area Command of the Nigeria Police Force in October 2025 allegedly detailed activities involving Izuegbu and others.
It claimed that the statement accused her of sourcing, handling and administering controlled substances to Daniels and other individuals.
In addition, the senator’s representatives alleged that Izuegbu published social media posts containing threats, derogatory remarks and defamatory comments directed at both Nwoko and Laila Nwoko shortly before her arrest.
They argued that the posts constituted criminal defamation and intimidation under relevant laws.
The media team maintained that the case should be viewed as a legal matter currently before the courts and not merely a dispute arising from social media exchanges.
The allegations against Izuegbu have yet to be tested in court, and no determination has been made regarding the claims.
Leave a Reply