Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan of Kogi Central has alleged that she was briefly prevented from travelling abroad on Tuesday after immigration officers seized her international passport at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja.
The lawmaker, visibly upset, went live on Facebook during the encounter, accusing immigration personnel of unlawfully restricting her movement and violating her fundamental rights. The incident has once again drawn public attention to her strained relationship with Nigeria’s political establishment.
In the live video obtained on Tuesday, Akpoti-Uduaghan was seen questioning the officers who had withheld her passport. She described the act as both shocking and unconstitutional, insisting that she had broken no law that would warrant such treatment.
“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,” she told viewers, visibly frustrated by what she called a recurring pattern of harassment.
The senator recalled that this was not the first time she had faced such an ordeal. She said that in a previous instance, she was also stopped from travelling without any legal justification or existing court order restricting her movement.
“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, adding that the latest incident had left her deeply disturbed.
According to Akpoti-Uduaghan, an immigration officer told her that the directive to withhold her passport came from the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio. She claimed the officer explained that Akpabio accused her of “spoiling the image of the country” whenever she travelled abroad to grant interviews to international media outlets.
“The officer in charge told me that Senate President Godswill Akpabio instructed to withhold my passport and prevent me from travelling because he claimed that each time I go abroad, I spoil the image of the country,” she said.
Her remarks quickly sparked a wave of reactions on social media, with many Nigerians expressing outrage over what they described as political intimidation.
Akpoti-Uduaghan, however, maintained that her commitment to transparency and accountability would not waver, even in the face of such challenges. She urged relevant authorities to step in and put an end to what she termed “repeated harassment and embarrassment.”
Despite the tense standoff, the senator later confirmed that her passport was eventually returned, allowing her to board her flight. “They eventually gave me back my passport, and I have been allowed to travel,” she said in a follow-up post.
However, she emphasized that the incident underscored the need for institutional reforms to protect public officials from undue interference and abuse of power.
When contacted, the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) denied any wrongdoing, describing the incident as a normal procedure. The Service’s Public Relations Officer, Akinsola Akinlabi, told journalists that the episode was merely “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,” he explained, dismissing suggestions of a politically motivated action.
Akinlabi further rejected the claim that the alleged directive came from the Senate President. “Of course not. What concerns immigration exercise with National Assembly matters?” he queried. His response, however, did little to quell growing public speculation over the nature of the confrontation and whether political undertones were involved.
Efforts by journalists to reach Senate President Godswill Akpabio for clarification were unsuccessful. His media aide, Eseme Eyiboh, neither picked up calls nor responded to messages seeking comment on the allegation. The silence from the Senate President’s office has fueled further debate about whether the dispute between Akpoti-Uduaghan and the Senate leadership is far from over.
This latest confrontation comes just months after Akpoti-Uduaghan’s suspension from the Senate on March 6, 2025, following a heated clash with the leadership over the alleged reallocation of her seat during plenary.
At the time, she accused Akpabio of running the upper chamber with what she called “a dictatorial hand,” an accusation he vehemently denied. The suspension drew mixed reactions from the public, with some viewing it as an attempt to silence a vocal lawmaker.
Although the suspension lapsed in September, Akpoti-Uduaghan only regained access to her office two weeks ago after a prolonged standoff and legal battles. Her return marked the end of months of tension between her and the Senate leadership, though political observers say the underlying friction may still persist. Her reappearance in the Senate was met with both applause and curiosity as she resumed her legislative duties with renewed energy.
Since her reinstatement, the senator has actively participated in plenary sessions, including sponsoring amendments to the Criminal Code (Amendment) Bill 2025 last week. Her legislative focus, she has said, remains on justice reform, transparency, and the protection of women’s rights. But Tuesday’s airport incident has momentarily overshadowed her legislative efforts, drawing attention back to her ongoing struggles within the political space.