Senator Natasha Akpoti passport seized — Drama erupted at an undisclosed Nigerian airport on Monday as Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, the lawmaker representing Kogi Central Senatorial District, alleged that her international passport was seized by airport officials acting on “orders from above.”
In a video circulating on social media and confirmed by eyewitnesses, the senator could be seen visibly shaken as she recounted the incident, claiming that officials of the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) allegedly told her she could not leave the country.
According to Senator Akpoti, the officials informed her that the directive came from the Controller-General of Immigration, who reportedly cited an “instruction” from the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, to prevent her from traveling abroad.
“They said I can’t travel because the Senate President instructed the Immigration Service that I should not be allowed to go out of the country,” the senator alleged in her statement shared on social media.
“They told me that whenever I travel abroad, I tarnish the image of the country,” she added, fighting back tears while addressing reporters at the terminal.
The incident has sparked outrage among Nigerians, especially on X (formerly Twitter), where the senator’s name quickly began trending under hashtags like #NatashaAkpoti and #AirportDrama.
Supporters of the Kogi-born lawmaker described the act as “a violation of her fundamental human rights” and called on the federal government to investigate what they termed “an abuse of power and misuse of security agencies.”
Meanwhile, attempts by LeadNaija News to get an official response from the Nigeria Immigration Service were unsuccessful as of press time. Calls and messages sent to the Service’s Public Relations Officer were not immediately returned.
A senior immigration officer, who spoke on condition of anonymity, confirmed that there was “some form of directive” regarding Senator Akpoti’s movement but declined to disclose details, saying the situation was “being handled at the highest level.”
“I can’t say much for now. All I can confirm is that there was an instruction to hold her passport temporarily. The reasons are not entirely clear to us on the ground,” the officer said.
Efforts to reach the office of Senate President Godswill Akpabio also proved abortive, as his media aide did not respond to inquiries at the time of filing this report.
The alleged seizure comes amid ongoing political tension between Senator Akpoti and some top political figures in Kogi and Abuja. The outspoken senator has recently been vocal about corruption, governance issues, and what she calls “systemic suppression of dissenting voices in the National Assembly.”
Human rights groups and civil society organizations have also condemned the alleged act, warning that such incidents could erode public trust in democratic institutions.
The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP), reacting via its official X handle, said:
“If true, the seizure of Senator Natasha Akpoti’s passport is unlawful, unconstitutional, and an attack on the fundamental right to freedom of movement. We call for an immediate investigation and accountability.”
Constitutional lawyer Barr. Jiti Ogunye described the situation as “a grave constitutional violation,” stating that “no Senate President has the legal power to restrict a citizen’s movement or seize a passport without a court order.”
“Only a competent court of law can impose such a restriction, and only for valid legal reasons. Anything outside that is an abuse of authority and must be challenged,” he said.
Senator Akpoti has since vowed to pursue legal redress if her passport is not returned immediately. In her latest post on X, she wrote:
“This is not about me alone. This is about every Nigerian who dares to speak truth to power. We cannot allow intimidation to silence our democracy.”
As of the time of this report, sources close to the senator revealed that she remains at the airport, awaiting clearance or official communication from relevant authorities.
The development continues to generate nationwide attention, with calls for transparency, accountability, and respect for rule of law at all levels of governance.
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