In a dramatic turn of events, Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan has publicly accused officials of the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) of unlawfully seizing her international passport.
The senator, representing Kogi Central Senatorial District, alleged that the action was politically motivated and linked to the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio.
According to reports, the incident occurred at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, where the lawmaker was allegedly stopped by immigration officers while attempting to travel out of the country. Senator Natasha described the incident as “an act of intimidation” and vowed to take legal action to reclaim her travel document and expose those behind the move.
In her words, “This is nothing short of harassment. My passport was seized without any lawful justification. I strongly suspect that this action was orchestrated by powerful individuals who feel threatened by my advocacy in the Senate.”
While the Immigration Service has yet to issue an official statement regarding the incident, sources within the agency hinted that the senator’s name might have been flagged for investigation.
Meanwhile, reactions have continued to trail the development, with many Nigerians on social media condemning what they describe as the growing use of state institutions to witch-hunt perceived political opponents.
Efforts to reach the Office of the Senate President for comment were unsuccessful as of the time of filing this report.
