BREAKING: Abuja Court threatens to jail Akpabio over Senator Natasha’s suspension

Senate President Godswill Akpabio faces the risk of imprisonment for allegedly disobeying a court order, as Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan initiates contempt proceedings against the Senate.

A notice of disobedience of a court order, signed by the court registrar pursuant to Section 72 of the Sheriff and Civil Process Act 2004, was issued alongside a notice of consequences of disobedience. The Federal High Court, Abuja, in suit No: FHC/ABJ/CS/384/2025, urged the defendants—Akpabio, the Clerk of the National Assembly, the Senate, and Senator Neda Imasuem, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges, and Code of Conduct—to take heed of their willful defiance of a court order issued by Justice O.A. Egwuatu on March 4, 2025.

The court emphasized that this disobedience renders Akpabio, Senator Imasuem, and the Clerk of the National Assembly liable for contempt, a charge that could lead to imprisonment unless they comply with the order. Despite being duly served with the enrolled order on March 5, 2025, the defendants allegedly ignored the directive and proceeded with actions in blatant disregard of the court’s authority.

Part of the Form 48 states:

“Take notice that pursuant to Section 72 of the Sheriffs and Civil Process Act, your willful disobedience of the order of this Honourable Court, Coram: Hon. Justice O.A. Egwuatu, made on March 4, 2025, renders you liable for contempt of court, for which you may be committed to prison unless you comply with the said order.”

“Take further notice that despite being duly served with the enrolled order on March 5, 2025, you, the defendants/contemnors, have deliberately and contumaciously disregarded its binding directive, proceeding with acts in flagrant defiance of the authority of this Honourable Court. A copy of the said order is annexed hereto for ease of reference.”

The enrolled order, issued following a motion ex parte dated February 28, 2025, and filed on March 3, 2025, was presented before the court on March 4, 2025. The court granted the following reliefs:

Service by Substituted Means: Permission for the plaintiff/applicant to serve the second defendant/respondent with the originating summons and accompanying documents via the first defendant (Clerk of the National Assembly), by pasting them at the National Assembly premises, or by publication in two national dailies.

Interim Injunction: An order restraining the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges, and Code of Conduct, chaired by the fourth defendant, from proceeding with an investigation against the plaintiff regarding alleged misconduct at the Senate plenary on February 20, 2025, pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice for interlocutory injunction.

Order to Show Cause: A directive for the first to fourth defendants to appear in court and explain why an interlocutory injunction should not be granted to prevent them from conducting the purported investigation against the plaintiff.

Nullification of Actions Taken: A declaration that any action taken while the suit is pending is null, void, and of no effect.