Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan of Kogi Central has alleged that officials of the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) seized her international passport at the airport on Tuesday, preventing her from traveling abroad.
In a live video shared on her Facebook page, the senator appeared visibly upset as she confronted immigration officers at the counter, demanding to know why her passport was being withheld.
“Have I committed any offense? Why are you withholding my passport?” she questioned, insisting there was no legal order restricting her movement.
Natasha explained that she was only traveling to take a short break after completing the celebration of her second year in office. She maintained that she had not violated any law that warranted her being stopped from leaving the country.
Recalling a similar incident, the lawmaker alleged that the last time her passport was seized, an officer confided in her that the instruction came directly from Senate President Godswill Akpabio.
According to her, “The officer said Akpabio told them to withhold my passport and stop me from traveling because he claimed that each time I travel out of the country, I damage Nigeria’s image by granting interviews to international media.”
As of press time, neither the Nigerian Immigration Service nor the office of the Senate President had released an official statement in response to the allegations.
https://twitter.com/treatpworld/status/1985624364641910834?t=3xcSciKHnjSM8Ae9j4E_yQ&s=19