JUST IN: Court fines Senator Natasha N5m for contempt over satirical apology to Akpabio

The Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, on Friday, found the suspended lawmaker representing Kogi Central, Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, guilty of contempt.

The court, in a ruling delivered by Justice Binta Nyako, noted that the embattled lawmaker violated its order by publishing what it described as 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 earlier placed on the parties by the court.

Consequently, the court ordered Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan to, within seven days, publish an apology to it in two national dailies as well as on her Facebook page.

The court equally ordered her to pay a N5 million fine, emphasizing that her contempt arose from a civil proceeding.

Even though the contempt action was initiated by Senator Akpabio, the court declined to issue any order in his favour.

Details soon.