Journalist Alleges She Was Paid to Manipulate Senator Natasha’s Voice in N30m Smear Plot
Prominent Journalist and activist Francess Olisa-Ogbonna has made damning allegations against social media personality Sandra Duru, popularly known as “Prof Mgbeke,” accusing her of orchestrating a N30 million smear campaign aimed at discrediting Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan through doctored audio content and false narratives.
Speaking in a no-holds-barred interview on Adeola Fayehun’s YouTube Channel, Olisa-Ogbonna said Duru contacted her, after giving her one hundred thousand naira as a gift on the Saturday before Easter and offered financial inducements to produce and circulate a damaging media script against the senator. She claimed she received N300,000 from Duru on Easter Monday, with a prepared script and two audio files, with specific instructions to voice over and fabricate a storyline in her Studio. that would sway public opinion against Akpoti-Uduaghan.
“She played an audio clip and said it proved her claims, but there was nothing in it to support the allegations,” Olisa-Ogbonna stated. “The senator never denied any sexual harassment, nor did she make any statement about bringing down the Yoruba government. These are all fabrications.”
The journalist said the entire scheme was designed to mislead Nigerians and destroy Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan’s credibility through orchestrated online propaganda. She further claimed that Duru bizarre accusations, against FIDA and former Minister of Education, Dr. Oby Ezekwesili, were fabricated lies as there was nothing in the audio to that effect.
Describing Sandra Duru as a serial blackmailer, Olisa-Ogbonna alleged that she even played an audio voice of the Senate President Godswill Akpabio to lend credence to her claim of being sponsored by him.
She said Sandra Duru had made previous attempts to extort high-profile individuals, including the Governor of Imo State, Senator Hope Uzodinma.
She added that Duru had reached out to activist Deji Adeyanju, only to call him “arrogant” after he refused to engage.
She also sought the contact of activist Omoyele Sowore and mentioned plans to enlist social media personality Verydarkman (VDM) in the smear campaign by setting aside 30 million naira for the job.
“I know how the video was made and the manipulation behind it,” Olisa-Ogbonna declared. “Sandra is always scheming, but I challenge her to release our audio recordings to counter my claims as i have my version with timestamps, and I’m ready to release it to the public.”
“Sandra’s actions are damaging to the country,” she warned. “This is not just political mischief, it’s a national embarrassment.”
Olisa-Ogbonna reaffirmed her willingness to honour any official invitation to testify, insisting that speaking out was both a civic responsibility and a moral obligation.
“I couldn’t stay silent in the face of such dangerous tactics,” she concluded. “Silence would mean complicity.”
