Natasha fined N5m for disregarding court order

A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja found suspended Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan guilty of contempt on Friday.…

In a ruling, Justice Binta Nyako declared that Akpoti-Uduaghan went against its order by publishing a satirical apology to the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio.

It held that the said apology, which she published on her Facebook page on April 7, made a mockery of a gag order that was placed on the parties by the court.

Akpoti-Uduaghan’s counsel argued that the post was not connected to the court’s order concerning her suspension, but rather referred to a separate issue involving sexual harassment allegations against the third respondent (Akpabio).

Justice Nyako, however, held that after reviewing the post and the application before her instituted by the third respondent, she was satisfied that it was linked to the suspension matter before the court and therefore found the plaintiff guilty of contempt.

The court subsequently ordered Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan to publish an apology within seven days in two national dailies and on her Facebook page.

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The court equally ordered her to pay a N5 million fine, stressing that her contempt was in a civil proceeding.

Even though the court decision followed a contempt action that Senator Akpabio initiated, the court declined to issue any order in his favour.