News
Legal twist in court, as Akpabio moves to convict Natasha over alleged contempt
Legal fireworks continued on Monday before Justice Binta Murtala Nyako, in the matter between Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan and Godswill Akpabio, Senate President, over the former’s suspension from the Senate.
But proceedings had to be halted in the main case as the court adjouned to first hear the contempt proceedings brought against the Senator representing Kogi Central Senatorial District, at the National Assembly, by Akpabio’s lawyers, for Tuesday, May 13.
At the resumption of the matter on Monday, the lawyers defending the Senate President informed the court that they had filed an application highlighting the Akpoti-Uduaghan’s alleged contempt, contradicting a gag order from the court for parties to refrain from speaking about the case in the media.
The female Senator, one of the four in the Senate of the 10th NASS, had been suspended by the Senate on March 6 for unruly behaviour based on her confrontation of Akpabio on the floor of the assembly, during plenary on February 20 on the recommendation of the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges, and Public Petitions.
Akpoti-Uduaghan, had rushed to court to obtain an injunction restraining the Senate from investigating her, but regardless of the order obtained ex-parte on March 4, the Senate still moved against her, not only clamping the suspension order, but followed with a swathe of other measures, including stoppage of her salaries.
But a new twist which was raised on Monday was in regards of the courts order on April 4, 2025, where Nyako restrained all the parties, including the Clerk of the National Assembly, the Senate, and Nada Imasuen, Chairman of the committee that investigated the matter, who were all joined in the suit, not to grant media interviews or make social media posts related to the case.
At the resumed sitting on Monday, Akpoti-Uduaghan’s legal team, led by Jibrin Okutekpa, had made to proceed, telling the court that the matter was fixed for hearing and that all required documents had been filed.
But Charles Yoila, Paul Daudu, Ekoh Ejembi (SAN) and Valentine Offia lawyers for the four defence parties who affirmed their compliance with the court’s prior directives and expressed readiness to proceed with the hearing, raised the issue of contempt.
Daudu told the court that despite the order against social media posts, the plaintiff had published a satirical post on her Facebook page, stating: “This matter is coming up for definite hearing. The second defendant has filed its schedule of hearing. Ordinarily, we are ready to proceed, but a further affidavit was served on me just on Friday, which I am entitled to respond to.
“This court ordered that there should be no social media posts, but there was one. The plaintiff herself posted a satirical apology on her Facebook page. The post mocked the court and violated its order, asking it to hold her in contempt.
Ejembi, while echoing the submission, added: “We are alleging that the Facebook post made by the plaintiff is a mockery of the court’s proceedings. We tender a Punch newspaper report showing she made the post despite the court’s order.”
But, Akpoti-Uduaghan’s lawyers, countered, saying, Facebook post was related to the sexual harassment allegation and not the issue before the court, urged the court to disregard the defendants’ submissions and proceed with hearing the substantive matter.
Okutekpa, however failed to get the court to fast-track the hearing, reminding it that the female Senator had spent 68 cumulative days out of the National Assembly, as Nyako insisted that the contempt issue must be addressed first.
“I cannot proceed with this matter until I conclude on the issue of contempt. If there is contempt, I have to hear and determine it first,” the judge said, urging Akpoti-Uduaghan’s who also raised a contempt allegation against all the defendants to also bring them for hearing.
Eyo Ekpe, a professor of cardiothoracic surgery at the University of Uyo Teaching Hospital (UUTH), on Wednesday, gave a detailed account on how operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) manhandled him on Monday.
He told reporters that he was at sea on why he should fall victim to the assault against his person and eventually arrested given that was not right person directly involved in the information the agency sought.
Some operatives of the EFCC who invaded the hospital, had whisked Ekpe away after firing teargas to scare away the workers, patients and visitors to the hospital, following what appeared like a fracas the ensued over what it claimed was a routine duty in the facility.
Ekpe, Deputy Chairman of the hospital’s Medical Advisory Committee (MAC), described how an operative had first entered his office to make inquiries on why the hospital was yet to give a response to an EFCC inquiry over a medical report linked to a suspect facing trial.
He detailed how he briefed the operative that the said response was being prepared and even went ahead to show him the draft of a letter in that regard, which needed to go through the gamut of official endorsement before being released.
Hear him: “The head of that internal medicine department looked at the report and also discovered that the name of the doctor that signed the report is not a member of staff of that department.
“I had prepared prepared a response to the EFCC on Monday, May 11, 2026, based on the findings. When the EFCC operative visited my office the next morning to collect the document, I told him that the response was ready in draft. I even showed him the draft, but told him that the document still needed approval from the Chief Medical Director (CMD) of the hospital before it could be officially signed and released.
“He pretended to have accepted that. He left, but later later returned with another armed operative and informed me that I was under arrest. I asked him why. I was not the one that issued the medical report. My name is not on the medical report. The report was not issued from my unit.
“But he said I would get the answer when I get to their office. I then asked him to at least wait for my staff member who I sent on an errand before joining them. But they refused.
“They started pushing me. They dragged me out of the office. Then I began to cry while they were dragging me. They had warned me not to speak. They had taken my phone. My cry as they were dragging me, attracted the workers to the scene, who enquired what was going on, but because they ordered me not to speak, I couldn’t say anything. They had their guns.
The members of staff of the hospital initially blocked them from taking me away. They then made a call. After that I saw many masked and armed men came violently, broke the protector, threatening the people that were around and people ran away.
“They picked some staff that were still by me. they dragged me and other staff, five of us into their van downstairs. By that time they discovered that the gate of the hospital were locked. So, they drove towards the gate and packed and the commotion continued. We were inside the van.
“I was so emotionally and psychologically traumatised that I couldn’t even look out of the vehicle to see what was happening outside. But I know that teargas and live bullets were shot. That’s all I can say for now.”
Joyce Abdulmalik, of the Federal High Court, Abuja, heard on Wednesday, how Zenith Bank raised alarm over the huge transaction in one of its branches by Abubakar Malami, former Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice (AGF-MoJ).
The bank said it immediately filed a Suspicious Transaction Report (STR) in respect to the transactions, during its appearance in the ongoing trial of Malami, his wife, and son over allegation of massive looting of funds belonging to the Federal Government during his tenure.
Mashelia Bata, a compliance officer with the bank, who appeared as witness in the case, where Malami, et al, are facing a 16-count charge bordering on alleged money laundering to the tune of N8.7 billion, to which they pleaded not guilty, gave the testimony while being questioned on the bank’s roles in the matter.
Details of the testimony conveyed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), stated how the compliance officer who was cross-examined by Adebayo Adedeji, lawyer to the defendants admitted that the deposits in the account statements complied with the guidelines of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).
Arguments had stretched when Adedeji, opposed Jibrin Okutepa (SAN), lawyer to the EFCC, who had asked the witness to explain the meaning of a suspicious transaction report, stressing that there was no ambiguity in the term.
However, Okutepa, in response, maintained that section 215(3) of the Evidence Act did not preclude him from re-examining the witness while urging the court to allow the question for proper explanation.
After Abdulmalik, agreed and overruled Adedeji, the witness told the court that banks were required to alert the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU) about fund deposits coming in a repetitive pattern, adding: “Any deposition of funds seen in a pattern or repetitive, you must escalate it to the NFIU.”
Remember election decision is a one-day event that could lead to four years of pains, were the words with which Seyi Makinde, Governor of Oyo State, employed to rouse Nigerian voters to action against the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in 2027.
Makinde, said to be eyeing the Presidency in the next election circle, warned that Nigerians must not slack, but do everything in their powers to show the party the exit door for the suffering it had brought to them.
Declaring that the federal might those in power might be relying on would not work, the governor told his audience at the Oyo state Tourism Summit held at the University of Ibadan International Conference Centre (ICC), on Wednesday, that Nigerians would vote for leaders of their choice regardless of political influence.
Hear him: “I believe that this election cycle, federal might will not work. It has worked in Ekiti state in both instances but this time around, Nigerians will show politicians pepper. They will show us that they don’t want to be bystanders anymore; they will participate, and I’m sure of what I’m saying.”
Stressing how he had created structures to strengthen good governance in the state, Makinde, said while he would always root for continuity by which he would recommend a successor, the ultimate choice would be left for the people on who would lead them in the same manner they chose him.
His words: “I tell people that I will recommend for Oyo state people, but the decision will rest with the people of Oyo state. But if you make a mistake and bring someone who will not do good work, it is a one-day event, but the impact will last four years. So, we must get it right. Leadership changes but systems, they endure. So, our focus has been deliberate.
“People say, ‘oh, so Seyi, you did not mentor anyone these seven years you have been in government that can take over from you without the taint of APC’? And I ask them that Morohunkola Thomas or Bimbo Adekanbi, are they not from Oyo state? For us, if you’re from Oyo state, loyal to Oyo state, and have capacity, we will support you. We are blind to part colouration but open to capacity that can move Oyo state forward.”
Maintaining that his idea of continuity was aimed at building enduring systems that future administration could strengthen rather than replace, he added that the goal was to lay a solid foundation that would allow subsequent governments to build on existing structures instead of starting afresh.
There have been speculations that Makinde may back Bimbo Adekanbi, a former commissioner for finance in the state, as his preferred governorship candidate.
Adekanbi served in the administration of the late Abiola Ajimobi under the APC.
On Wednesday, Adebo Ogundoyin, speaker of the Oyo house of assembly, said he led lawmakers in the state “to a strategic breakfast meeting” with Adekanmbi, “the consensus gubernatorial candidate of our new party in the State Allied Peoples Movement.”
Oyo is the only state currently governed by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Nigeria. The party has been embroiled in an internal leadership crisis, resulting in factions aligned with Makinde and Nyesom Wike, minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
-
Columns4 weeks agoAbike Dabiri: Did Obi raise a monster or you’re drunk on Tinubu’s poisoned chalice?
-
News3 weeks agoJandor: Tinubu didn’t endorses Hamzat *I’ve briefed President on my ambition
-
Columns4 weeks agoBe the hero that saved Nigeria! Open letter to Alhaji Atiku Abubakar
-
News2 weeks agoBREAKING: Makinde, Turaki, lose! *S’Court affirms Wike’s PDP leadership
-
Columns4 weeks agoNow VDM has become Sowore’s nemesis, does Peter Obi need anther advocate?
-
Features2 weeks agoJim Nwobodo: The Sun shines, thrills, at ‘The Vanguard Awards’
-
News1 day agoTinubu to African leaders: Copy Nigeria, produce your way out of poverty
-
News3 weeks agoADC: Fight, scatter them! *Presidency goads Kogi lawmaker on Mark’s leadership