The Senator representing Kogi Central, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, on Tuesday accused immigration officials at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, of seizing her international passport and briefly preventing her from travelling abroad.
In a Facebook Live video obtained on Tuesday, the lawmaker was seen confronting immigration personnel over what she described as an unlawful restriction of movement and a violation of her fundamental rights.
She recalled experiencing a similar situation in the past where she was stopped from travelling abroad, despite having no pending legal case or court order barring her from leaving the country.
“Hello, fellow Nigerians. I’m Senator Natasha. Having completed my second year in office, I decided to take a week off. I’m at the airport here, and my passport has been withheld again.
This same thing happened before when I was stopped from travelling even though I had committed no offence, and there was no court order restricting me,” she said in the video.
Akpoti-Uduaghan further alleged that the officer in charge told her that Senate President Godswill Akpabio had instructed them to hold her passport and prevent her from travelling, claiming that she “spoils the image of the country” each time she grants interviews to international media.
Expressing frustration, the senator described the act as harassment and intimidation, urging authorities to intervene and stop what she called a pattern of embarrassment.
She, however, later confirmed that the immigration officers returned her passport and allowed her to continue her journey.
When contacted, the Public Relations Officer of the Nigerian Immigration Service, Akinsola Akinlabi, dismissed her claims, saying the encounter was nothing more than a routine check.
“It is a routine check, and she has been allowed to travel. It was an exercise that didn’t even take long,” Akinlabi said.
When asked about the alleged directive from Akpabio, the spokesperson reacted with surprise, saying:
“Of course not. What concerns immigration exercise with National Assembly matters?”
Efforts to reach Senate President Godswill Akpabio through his media aide, Eseme Eyiboh, were unsuccessful as calls and messages were not returned at press time.
The incident comes months after Akpoti-Uduaghan’s dramatic suspension from the Senate on March 6, 2025, following a confrontation with the Senate leadership over the alleged reallocation of her seat during plenary.
She had accused Akpabio of running the Senate with a “dictatorial hand,” a charge he strongly denied. Her suspension lapsed in September, and she only regained access to her office two weeks ago after a prolonged legal and administrative standoff.
Since her reinstatement, the senator has resumed active participation in legislative business, including sponsoring the Criminal Code (Amendment) Bill 2025 last week.
Tuesday’s airport episode — which the immigration service described as a routine procedure — has, however, rekindled public debate about her strained relationship with the Senate leadership and what political observers view as a test of institutional independence within Nigeria’s democracy.
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