Suspended Senator representing Kogi West, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, has raised the alarm that her official phone number has been cloned and is being used fraudulently to impersonate her and intimidate prominent Nigerians.
In a formal petition dated June 4 and addressed to the Director of the National Cybercrime Centre, Nigeria Police Force, Abuja, through her legal team at M. J. Numa and Partners, Akpoti-Uduaghan alleged that unidentified individuals are impersonating her by making unsolicited calls and sending deceptive messages under her name.
According to the petition titled “Disclaimer Regarding Illegal Cloning and Unauthorised Use of Our Client’s Phone Number,” the Senator warned that the operation appears to be a “coordinated cyberattack” designed to compromise her identity, mislead influential Nigerians, and manipulate public perception.
“The development is not only alarming but constitutes a gross violation of her privacy and a potential breach of national security,” her counsel, Barr. Michael Jonathan Numa stated in the letter.
Notable figures reportedly contacted in the impersonation scheme include Senator Ben Obi, former presidential adviser, and Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, former Governor of Edo State and ex-APC National Chairman.
Others are Chief Allen Onyema, CEO of Air Peace, Hon. Emmanuel Ukon and Seun Okinbaloye, a journalist with Channels Television.
Additionally, the Senator said she received a call from the Area Commander of Maitama District claiming to be returning a call from her — a call she never made.
Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Chief Ifedayo Adams Adedipe, also alleged receiving a suspicious call that appeared to come from Akpoti-Uduaghan.
The Senator has disclaimed all such communications and urged the public and recipients of any suspicious messages or calls appearing to originate from her number to treat them with “extreme caution” unless directly verified.
She has offered to submit her devices for forensic analysis and called on law enforcement to launch a full-scale investigation to identify and prosecute those responsible.
