Video: Court slams N5m fine on Natasha over Facebook post
Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan
Abdullateef Fowewe
A Federal High Court in Abuja on Friday found suspended Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan guilty of contempt of court.
Video link: https://fb.watch/AE0lf-v18H/
Justice Nyanko held that by posting a satirical letter on her Facebook page on April 27 while the April 4 order subsisted, Natasha was in contempt of court.
Justice Binta Nyako issued the ruling during proceedings in a suit filed by Akpoti-Uduaghan, who is challenging her suspension from the Senate.
Before addressing the main case, the court considered a contempt application submitted by Senate President Godswill Akpabio.
Akpabio claimed that a satirical Facebook post made by the senator breached a prior court order that prohibited all parties from making public or online comments regarding the case.
In response, Akpoti-Uduaghan’s legal team contended that the post was unrelated to her suspension and instead dealt with separate allegations of sexual harassment involving Akpabio, who is the third respondent in the matter.
Nonetheless, Justice Nyako determined that the post was indeed connected to the suspension case and constituted a breach of the court’s directive.
As a result, the court found Akpoti-Uduaghan in contempt and mandated that she publish a written apology within seven days in two national newspapers and on her Facebook page. Additionally, she was fined ₦5 million.
