Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, representing Kogi Central, has accused immigration officials at a Nigerian airport of preventing her from travelling abroad by withholding her passport.
Speaking during a live broadcast on her Facebook page on Tuesday morning, the senator questioned the legality of the officials’ actions.
“Have I committed any offence? Why are you withholding my passport?” she asked, visibly frustrated.
The incident reportedly occurred shortly after the senator celebrated her second year in office.
“Having completed my second-year celebration, I decided to take a week off. I’m at the airport, and my passport has been withheld again,” she said.
Akpoti-Uduaghan recalled a previous instance when her passport was allegedly seized on the instructions of Senate President Godswill Akpabio.
She claimed that the officer told her, “Senator Akpabio instructed us to prevent you from travelling because each time you travel, you smear the country’s image through international interviews.”
The Kogi lawmaker rejected this explanation, noting that all pending federal government cases against her had been terminated following the intervention of the President, who she said recognized the cases as politically motivated.
“There is no reason why my passport should be withheld at the international airport. None whatsoever,” she said.
At the time of filing this report, neither Senate President Akpabio nor the Nigerian Immigration Service had issued a response to the allegations.
Angry and visibly upset, Akpoti-Uduaghan threatened to pursue legal action against the officials.
“You have no right to withhold my passport or deny me exit from my country. I have committed no offence, and this must stop. I think I have to sue you for continuously embarrassing me,” she said.
The senator also stressed that she had complied with all court proceedings related to her ongoing legal cases.
“I have attended all my court sessions. I am not a flight risk. I am not a threat to my country. So why are you treating me like a criminal?” she asked.
Minutes after the confrontation, one of the officials returned her passport.
“Can I have my passport, please? Thank you very much. Sometimes you just have to be a rebel to get things right. If I had not gone public, would you have given me my passport?” the senator remarked, as apologies from officials were audible in the background.
Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan is currently facing separate cases of alleged criminal defamation and cybercrime at the FCT High Court and Federal High Court, Abuja.
Her cybercrime trial, presided over by Justice Mohammed Umar, has been adjourned to 24 November. She faces a six-count charge filed by the Director of Public Prosecution, Mohammed Abubakar.
The senator recently returned to Senate plenary after a six-month suspension for alleged misconduct, a move that attracted public criticism.
Her office, which had been sealed during the suspension, was reopened on 23 September, allowing her full return to legislative duties.
