By Ibrahim Adebowale
Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan (PDP–Kogi Central) has alleged that her passport was seized by Nigerian Immigration Service officials at an airport on the orders of Senate President Godswill Akpabio.
The lawmaker, who recently marked her second year in office with project commissioning in Kogi Central, went live on Instagram to question immigration officers over the alleged confiscation of her passport.
In a video obtained on Tuesday, Akpoti-Uduaghan described the action as an unlawful restriction of her movement and a violation of her fundamental rights.
“This same thing happened before when I was stopped from travelling even though I had committed no offence,” she said. “The last time this happened, the officer told me that Senator Godswill Akpabio instructed them to withhold my passport because he claimed that I ‘spoil the image of the country’ when I speak to international media.”
According to her, it took the intervention of an influential individual before her passport was released on a previous occasion.
Akpoti-Uduaghan further claimed that President Bola Tinubu had directed the Attorney-General of the Federation, Lateef Fagbemi, to withdraw all pending cases filed against her by the Federal Government.
Her passport was later returned by immigration officials.
The senator, who was suspended for six months in March following a dispute with Akpabio over seat reallocation, only resumed plenary duties on September 24.
