Natasha Protests, Fingers Akpabio as Immigration at Abuja Airport Allegedly Seize Her Passport
Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan has alleged that officials of the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) briefly withheld her passport at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja on Tuesday, acting on the reported instruction of Senate President Godswill Akpabio
The lawmaker, who represents Kogi Central Senatorial District, raised the alarm in a live video streamed from the airport, claiming that immigration officers prevented her from boarding her flight.
“I’m at the airport, and my passport has been withheld again,” she said in the video, demanding to know if she had committed any offence.
“Why are you withholding my passport?” she asked one of the officers on duty.
Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan alleged that the immigration officials informed her she had been placed on a travel watch-list following an order allegedly linked to the Senate President. She said she was told the reason behind the restriction was that she “often grants interviews abroad that tarnish the country’s image.”
The senator, who recently marked her second year in office, recalled that this was not the first time her passport had been seized at the airport. According to her, a similar incident occurred months earlier, and she was later cleared to travel after several interventions.
She further stated that President Bola Tinubu had previously directed the Attorney-General of the Federation to withdraw pending cases against her, describing those cases as politically motivated.
Despite the temporary delay, Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan said her passport was eventually returned by one of the immigration officers. “Thank you very much,” she said after receiving the document, adding that she believed the officers acted only because she had made the matter public.
The senator vowed to pursue legal action over what she described as an unlawful attempt to restrict her movement.
As of press time, neither the Nigeria Immigration Service nor the office of the Senate President had issued any official response to her allegations.
The development comes amid heightened tension between Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan and the Senate leadership following her earlier suspension and ongoing legal disputes.
