Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan of Kogi Central has been found in civil contempt of court and fined ₦5 million, and ordered to issue a public apology in two national dailies and on her Facebook page within seven days.
The sanction follows her recent outburst against Senate president Godswill Akpabio, which the court deemed to have violated a restraining order relating to accusations of sexual harassment.
As part of the judgment, the court mandated that the apology must appear in both The Guardian and Punch newspapers and be posted on Akpoti-Uduaghan’s verified Facebook account within the 7-day timeframe.
Akpoti-Uduaghan, suspended from the Senate in March for alleged misconduct after confronting Akpabio, was previously charged with sexual harassment and suspended for six months.
A ruling earlier this month required her retraction and apology; however, the senator’s failure to comply led to the court’s decision imposing the substantial fine.
In addition to the monetary penalty, the court affirmed its expectation that Akpoti-Uduaghan would visibly correct her previous statements via the specified media channels, asserting that failure to do so could lead to further legal action.
