“I Got N300k to Destroy Natasha’s Image” — Journalist Drops Bombshell
ABUJA/Nigeria: Journalist and human rights activist, Francess Olisa-Ogbonnaya, has accused social media influencer Sandra Duru, popularly known as “Prof Mgbeke,” of masterminding a N30 million smear campaign against Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, using doctored audio recordings and fabricated allegations to mislead the public and tarnish the senator’s reputation.
Speaking in an explosive interview on Adeola Fayehun’s YouTube channel, Olisa-Ogbonnaya claimed Duru approached her on the Saturday before Easter with a financial offer to participate in the scheme. According to her, Duru later transferred N300,000 to her on Easter Monday, accompanied by explicit instructions to produce and disseminate false narratives aimed at discrediting Akpoti-Uduaghan.
Olisa-Ogbonna alleged that Duru played her an audio recording purportedly involving Senate President Godswill Akpabio in an attempt to bolster her claims. However, she dismissed the tape as inconclusive and irrelevant, insisting that “there was nothing in it to support the allegations. The senator never spoke about sexual harassment, nor did she threaten the Yoruba government. These were all fabrications.”
She described the campaign as a calculated misinformation effort designed to erode public trust in Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan through coordinated online propaganda. Olisa-Ogbonna further revealed that Duru made a series of outlandish claims, including that the senator had paid former Education Minister Dr. Oby Ezekwesili to defend her, while labelling Nigerians as “gullible.”
The journalist described Sandra Duru as a “serial blackmailer,” alleging that she had previously attempted to extort high-profile individuals such as Imo State Governor, Senator Hope Uzodinma. She also claimed that Duru had approached activist Deji Adeyanju, whom she later dismissed as “arrogant” for refusing to cooperate. Duru, Olisa-Ogbonna said, also sought connections to Omoyele Sowore and floated the idea of enlisting social media personality Verydarkman (VDM) to amplify the smear campaign.
“I know how the video was made and the manipulation behind it,” she declared. “Sandra is always scheming, but I challenge her to release any recording. I have my own version with timestamps and I’m ready to make it public.”
Olisa-Ogbonnaya described the alleged plot as a serious threat to Nigeria’s democracy and national stability. “This isn’t just political mischief—it’s a national embarrassment. Sandra’s actions are damaging to the country,” she warned.
Calling on Senate President Akpabio and other national leaders to guard against such acts of blackmail and political manipulation, she urged greater vigilance in protecting the integrity of public discourse. She also pledged to honour any formal invitation to testify on the matter, emphasizing her belief that exposing such conduct was a civic and moral responsibility.
“I couldn’t stay silent in the face of such dangerous tactics,” she concluded. “Silence would mean complicity.” She concluded.
