Court finds Senator Natasha guilty of contempt, fines her N5m

The Federal High Court in Abuja on Friday found suspended Kogi Central lawmaker, Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, guilty of contempt for violating a court order.

Justice Binta Nyako ruled that Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan disobeyed the court’s gag order by posting a satirical apology to Senate President Godswill Akpabio on her Facebook page on April 7. The court held that this action mocked the order.

As a consequence, the court ordered her to publish a formal apology to the court in two national newspapers and on her Facebook page within seven days. She was also fined N5 million for contempt, which was determined to be in a civil proceeding.

Though the contempt case was initiated by Senator Akpabio, the court declined to grant any further orders in his favour.

Separately, the court has also proceeded to deliver judgment on Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan’s challenge to the six-month Senate suspension imposed on her.