Natasha Akpoti Fined ₦5m For Contempt, Ordered To Apologize To Akpabio

The Federal High Court in Abuja has fined Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan ₦5 million after finding her guilty of contempt of court.

Justice Binta Nyako delivered the ruling on Friday, stating that a Facebook post made by the Kogi Central lawmaker on April 27, 2025, breached a previous court order.

The post, which was a satirical apology directed at Senate President Godswill Akpabio, was seen as a violation of the court’s instructions barring all parties from making public statements about the case.

The judge gave the ruling during the hearing of a suit filed by Natasha Akpoti, in which she is challenging her suspension from the Senate.

Before addressing the main case, the court first dealt with a contempt application filed by Akpabio.

In the application, Akpabio argued that the senator’s social media post ignored the court’s directive to avoid public commentary on the matter.

In her response, Natasha’s legal team claimed the post wasn’t related to the suspension case but instead referred to separate allegations of sexual harassment involving Akpabio.

However, Justice Nyako disagreed, saying she reviewed the content of the post and determined it was connected to the ongoing suspension case.

As a result, she found the senator guilty of contempt.

The court ordered Natasha to issue a formal apology in two national newspapers and repost the apology on her Facebook page within seven days. She was also ordered to pay the ₦5 million fine.

Meanwhile, the court also ruled that the Senate must recall Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, who was suspended for six months.