FCT, Abuja - The Federal High Court in Abuja on Friday morning, July 4, found the senator representing Kogi Central, suspended Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, guilty of contempt of court.

Justice Binta Nyako in the trial court, in her judgment, explained that the embattled senator went against the court order when she published a satirical apology against Godswill Akpabio, the Senate President.

According to the court, Natasha's satirical apology, which was published on her Facebook page on April 7, contravened the court order, which was placed on the parties involved in the case by the court.

Vanguard reported that the court consequently ordered the suspended senator to publish an apology within seven days. The apologies should be done in two national dailies as well as on her Facebook page.

Also, the court held that Senator Natasha should pay the fine of N5 million, owing to the fact that the contempt she committed was in a civil proceeding.

Justice Nyako also refused to issue any judgment in favour of the Senate President, even though its decision was based on the contempt action that was filed by Akpabio.

In another suit, the Kogi senator, who was suspended by the Senate for violating the Chamber's standing order, is facing a criminal defamation suit that the federal government had filed against her in suit No. CR/297/25.

The case proceedings were scheduled in response to the defamatory statement the suspended senator allegedly made against Senate President Godswill Akpabio and the immediate past governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello, bordering on an assassination plot.

The Department of Public Prosecutions of the Federation (DPPF) in the Ministry of Justice had filed the suit on Friday, May 16.

Suspended Senator Natasha was facing prosecution under Section 391 of the Penal Code Law, Cap 89, Laws of the Federation, 1990, based on the court filing. Under the section, it is criminal to claim to damage the reputation of another person.

The court document indicated that Godswill Akpabio, the Senate president and the immediate past governor of Kogi state, Yahaya Bello, had been scheduled to testify as witnesses in the case. The duo were also listed as nominal complainants.

Legit.ng earlier reported that Kogi Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan's legal tussle initiated by the federal government has commenced hearing at the Federal High Court.

Oby Ezekwesili, the former Minister of Education, who witnessed the hearing on Thursday, June 19, said that the federal government asked the court to send the senator to prison.

However, the former minister disclosed that the court declined the prayer of the federal government lawyers and granted bail to Senator Natasha.

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Source: Legit.ng