By Princess Eugene Majuru
A dramatic scene unfolded at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja as Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan (PDP/Kogi Central) was briefly prevented from traveling abroad when her international passport was seized by Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) officials. The lawmaker publicly challenged the officials, accusing the action of being “unlawful and politically motivated”.
The incident occurred on a Tuesday morning as Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan prepared to board an international flight. In a live social media video streamed from the terminal, a visibly frustrated Akpoti-Uduaghan confronted the immigration staff.
Allegations Against Senate President
Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan directly accused Senate President Godswill Akpabio of ordering the seizure of her travel document, a claim she said was made by an officer during a previous similar incident. She alleged that the instruction came via the Comptroller-General, as Akpabio purportedly sought to prevent her from traveling and “spoiling the country’s image” by granting interviews to international media.
The Senator firmly asserted that there was no court order restricting her travel and insisted she was not a flight risk. She demanded the immediate return of her passport, stating: “You have no right to withhold my passport. You have no right to deny me exit and entrance into my country. I have not committed any offence and this must stop”.
Passport Returned After Standoff
The situation, which an eyewitness described as a “tense scene,” escalated until the Senator’s passport was returned. One source familiar with the situation suggested that the passport was released after her husband reportedly made “several urgent phone calls”.
The NIS, through its spokesperson, however, denied any order to seize her passport, stating that the Senator was only subjected to “routine immigration checks” before her passport was “promptly returned”.
Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan noted that this was the second time in less than four months her travel documents had been briefly withheld at the same airport. Following the release of her passport, the lawmaker said she would consider legal action against what she termed a “continuous pattern of harassment”.
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