Whistleblower alleges ₦300k bribe to produce fake audio against Senator Natasha

In a startling revelation, media personality Francess Olisa Ogbonnaya has accused Prof. Sandra Duru, popularly known as “Prof. Mgbeke,” of orchestrating a blackmail campaign against Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, involving doctored audio recordings and unsubstantiated allegations of sexual misconduct and ethnic sabotage.

In an exclusive interview with journalist Adeola Fayehun, Ogbonnaya claimed she was paid ₦300,000 by Duru during the Easter period to produce an audio recording designed to falsely implicate Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan in a fabricated scandal.

The plan, Ogbonnaya said, involved using manipulated recordings to portray the Kogi-born Senator as someone conspiring to destabilise the Yoruba political establishment and retract her allegations of sexual harassment against Senate President Godswill Akpabio.

“She sent me a script and asked me to use my voice to narrate it. But I refused to include parts that could not be defended. I couldn’t put myself or my registered company at risk by promoting lies,” Ogbonnaya said.

Ogbonnaya said she was approached on Easter Monday by Duru, who pitched the plan as a political exposé that would grant Duru political relevance.

According to Ogbonnaya, Duru claimed she had once been offered the position of deputy governor of Imo State and believed delivering this campaign could revive those political prospects.

“She told me plainly that she was promised a political position if she could pull this off. She said she was once offered deputy governor of Imo State. So maybe she thinks this will bring her back to relevance,” Ogbonnaya told Fayehun.

Ogbonnaya also provided Fayehun with screenshots of WhatsApp messages, payment receipts, and a script titled “Light Mask: The Politics of Blackmail and Emotional Manipulation”, which she said were part of the planned smear campaign.

Natasha didn’t threaten to bring down Yoruba Govt – Ogbonnaya

When asked about the authenticity of the allegations that Akpoti-Uduaghan had admitted to fabricating a harassment claim, Ogbonnaya categorically denied it.

“There is nowhere in the clips Sandra sent me where Natasha said she wanted to bring down the Yoruba government.

“How do you think Sen. Natasha will bring down the Yoruba government? A Kogi person is a minority Nigerian. They don’t have alliances like that,” she said.

Background

The controversy emerged after a viral video appeared online in which a woman claiming to be a professor suggested that Akpoti-Uduaghan had confessed to inventing allegations against Akpabio.

The video was met with widespread scepticism, prompting Ogbonnaya to step forward with her account.

“She contacted me to produce an audio that could ‘expose’ Senator Natasha. When I edited out the lies, she got upset and said I was sabotaging her plans,” Ogbonnaya said.

Ogbonnaya further alleged that Duru had long shown an interest in voice manipulation, sharing past tutorials on voice cloning with her as far back as 2020.

“So when she came back this year with this plan, it wasn’t new to me,” she said.

Is Prof Mbeke Akpabio's associate?

Asked if Duru was working with any high-ranking politicians, Ogbonnaya clarified that she had no evidence linking Duru’s actions to Akpabio or any coordinated effort by the ruling party.

“I don’t have the evidence to say Sandra is working with Akpabio,” she said.

Despite the potential risks to her safety, Ogbonnaya said she was prepared to share her evidence with security agencies—on the condition that Duru be questioned alongside her. Fayehun, the interviewer, praised Ogbonnaya’s courage.

“This is dangerous for her. We should be grateful she came out at all. It shows how desperate this entire situation has become.”

The disclosure comes amid rising political tensions ahead of the 2027 general elections, in which misinformation and media manipulation are expected to significantly shape public opinion.