An Abuja Federal High Court on Friday imposed a fine of N5 million on suspended Senator Natasha Akpoti-Udughan after finding her guilty of contempt over a satirical apology post.
The Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, had filed a contempt application challenging the Senator’s satirical apology she made through her her Facebook page on April 27.
Akpabio argued that the post violated the court’s earlier order, which barred all parties from publicly commenting on the suspension matter, either through chat with the press or making a social media post about it.
Akpoti-Udughan’s consel, however, defended the post, arguing that it was not connected to the Senator’s suspension case, but to that of a separate case – sexual harassment allegations against the third respondent (Akpabio).
Justice Binta Nyako, who delivered the judgement, said after reviewing the social media post, she was satisfied that it was connected to that of the suspension matter before the court and therefore found the plaintiff guilty of contempt.
She ordered Akpoti-Udughan to publish an apology post via her Facebook page and also in two national newspaper within seven days.
Nyako also imposed a N5 million fine on the Kogi Central Senator.
