When the Body Rebels: A Psychologist’s Plea to the IGP and AGF on Justice, Conscience, Health—and the Case of Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan -By John Egbeazien Oshodi

Between March and May 2025, Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan submitted twelve formal petitions through appropriate legal channels. These were not spontaneous outbursts. They were structured, signed, dated, and addressed to the Nigeria Police Force, the Inspector General of Police, and in some cases, the Office of the Attorney General of the Federation.

Her petitions detailed threats to her life, the abduction of her staff, withdrawal of police security, defamatory attacks, and even an alleged assassination plot involving two of the country’s most politically powerful men—Senate President Godswill Akpabio and former Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello.

And yet, your offices responded with complete silence. No invitation for questioning. No interim reply. Not even a formal acknowledgment. The law, which should be neutral and swift, stood still when the petitioner had no political muscle behind her.

But One Statement, and the State Struck Back

When Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan, after months of official silence, publicly reiterated her concerns in a televised interview—a single line claiming that “discussions” had occurred to eliminate her—the Tinubu-led Federal Government moved fast.

Within days, your office, Mr. Attorney General, filed criminal defamation charges against her. Not because of any conclusive investigation—but because those she named are men of influence.

This is not balance. This is a weaponized judiciary. Twelve cries for help—ignored. One interview quote—criminalized. Is this how you want the rule of law to be remembered under your leadership?

The Letter That Came Only After Embarrassment

Just hours ago, during an exclusive YouTube interview with journalist Adeola Fayehun, Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan made another chilling revelation.

She stated that after her lawyer, Uju Nwoduwu, publicly exposed the inaction of the police, a long-delayed “letter of invitation” suddenly appeared. Months after her petitions. Months of total silence. And yet, when finally shown on Adeola’s program, this letter had no date or time.

What kind of justice is that? A letter rushed out in panic. No clarity. No intention of due process. Just an attempt to create the illusion of responsiveness—after the fact.

This is not just a procedural misstep. It is an embarrassment to institutional credibility. How can Nigerians trust the system when its moves are reactive, not principled?

Coming Home in Fear: A Woman Defends Herself Alone

Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan has announced that she will return to Nigeria from London on Tuesday, June 3, 2025, to face these charges. She has told the public, with visible anxiety, that she is scared. Not just of imprisonment. But of potential violence at the courthouse. She noted that in Nigeria, defendants have been shot in or around courts. And now, she fears she could be one of them.

She said on Adeola’s show that she may be granted bail—or jailed. But whatever the outcome, she is showing up. Alone. She has also invited the Nigerian public to be present at the court on Tuesday, a symbolic call for transparency, accountability, and solidarity in the face of state pressure.

The question is—will justice show up too?

You Obeyed Power—But At What Cost to Your Soul?

Yes, the public believes that both of you—IGP Kayode Egbetokun and AGF Lateef Fagbemi, SAN—acted not from principle, but from pressure. That the “powers that be” instructed silence on the twelve petitions, and urgency on the one retaliatory charge.

And maybe that’s true.

But pressure is not permission to abandon conscience. When power says “do nothing,” but your spirit says “this is wrong,” and you do it anyway—you begin to carry internal damage.

The Psychology of Suppressed Conscience and the Organs That Suffer

As a psychologist, I’ve seen this countless times: the body and mind rebel. There’s emotional weight, spiritual conflict, and physiological toll. Stress worsens the liver. When justice is obstructed and fairness denied, the body begins its quiet protest.

The liver, which helps cleanse the blood and regulate toxic emotions like anger and resentment, becomes overburdened. In psychological and medical literature, long-term stress and emotional suppression can contribute to hepatic inflammation, fibrosis, and functional deterioration. Liver enzymes may spike under chronic emotional pressure, silently harming a vital organ.

The kidneys, vital for filtering toxins and maintaining internal balance, become susceptible to damage through sustained cortisol surges from chronic stress. Hypertension, often worsened by inner turmoil, is a major contributor to kidney disease. Some medical reports even link decision-making stress and suppressed guilt with increased renal dysfunction and accelerated nephropathy in already vulnerable individuals.

The prostate, particularly in aging men, is not immune. Studies have observed correlations between chronic stress, hormonal disruption, and worsening of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) symptoms. Stress-related androgen imbalance may exacerbate swelling, discomfort, and urinary complications. The internal conflict of obeying unethical directives can fuel psychosomatic symptoms that affect urinary, sexual, and systemic health.

The heart, already at risk in high-pressure professions, begins to suffer from irregular rhythms, elevated blood pressure, and oxygen restriction—not due to physical exertion, but because the conscience is under siege. Chronic ethical dissonance heightens cardiovascular strain, increasing the likelihood of silent infarctions or stroke.

When you repeatedly silence what you know is right—your body records that denial. Sleeplessness. Headaches. Palpitations. Fatigue. And in some cases, irreversible organ damage. Because the conscience does not forget what the lips are too afraid to say. It punishes the body silently, but surely.

It’s Not Too Late—You Can Still Do What’s Right

Here is the critical point: Senator Natasha was charged to court without even being invited first. Meanwhile, those she named in her formal petitions—Akpabio, Bello, Duru, and others—have not even been asked a single question.

That’s not just inequality. That’s institutional cowardice.

But there’s still time to correct this. You can reopen the petitions. You can summon those accused. You can show Nigerians—and the world—that no one is above being questioned.

Do not let political loyalty become your moral graveyard. You still have a moment to be fair. Use it.

Your Signature Is on the Silence—But Your Soul Doesn’t Have to Be

What will history remember of your tenure? That you guarded the law—or that you guarded the powerful? That you sought truth—or that you ducked it?

Mr. IGP. Mr. AGF. No one is asking you to break laws. We are simply asking you to follow the same law for all.

Invite those accused.

Investigate those named.

Balance the scales before the nation completely loses faith.

Do it—not for her, not even for the nation—but for your own peace of mind.

Because spiritual unrest is slow, but it’s fatal. It shows up in the blood. In the body. In the breath.

Choose peace. Choose health. Choose conscience.

May God help you both do what is right—before it is too late.

This writer does not know any of the individuals involved; the focus is solely on upholding democracy, truth, and justice.

Psychologist John Egbeazien Oshodi

Professor John Egbeazien Oshodi is an American psychologist, educator, and author specializing in forensic, legal, and clinical psychology, cross-cultural psychology, police and prison sciences, and community justice. Born in Uromi, Edo State, Nigeria, he is the son of a 37-year veteran of the Nigeria Police Force—an experience that shaped his enduring commitment to justice, security, and psychological reform.

A pioneer in the field, he introduced state-of-the-art forensic psychology to Nigeria in 2011 through the National Universities Commission and Nasarawa State University, where he served as Associate Professor in the Department of Psychology. His contributions extend beyond academia through the Oshodi Foundation and the Center for Psychological and Forensic Services, advancing mental health, behavioral reform, and institutional transformation.

Professor Oshodi has held faculty positions at Florida Memorial University, Florida International University, Broward College, where he also served as Assistant Professor and Interim Associate Dean, Nova Southeastern University, and Lynn University. He is currently a contributing faculty member at Walden University and a virtual professor with Weldios University and ISCOM University.

In the United States, he serves as a government consultant in forensic-clinical psychology, offering expertise in mental health, behavioral analysis, and institutional evaluation. He is also the founder of Psychoafricalysis, a theoretical framework that integrates African sociocultural dynamics into modern psychology.

A proud Black Republican, Professor Oshodi advocates for individual empowerment, ethical leadership, and institutional integrity. His work focuses on promoting functional governance and sustainable development across Africa.