Officers of the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) have reportedly confiscated the international passport of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, representing Kogi Central, stopping her from leaving Nigeria.
The lawmaker, in a live Facebook broadcast on Tuesday, accused Senate President Godswill Akpabio of directing the immigration officers to bar her from travelling abroad.
Natasha Confronts Immigration Officers
In the video, a visibly upset Natasha was seen questioning the officers at the airport counter.
“Have I committed any offense? Why are you withholding my passport?” she asked.
She explained that she was travelling for a short break after celebrating her second year in office. According to her, there was no court order restricting her movement or authorising the seizure of her passport.
Senator Alleges Akpabio’s Role
Natasha claimed this was not the first time her travel documents had been seized.
“The last time this happened, the officer in charge told us that the Senate President Godswill Akpabio told them to withhold my passport and prevent me from travelling because he said each time I travel out of the country, I smear the country’s image by granting interviews in international media,” she alleged.
As of the time of this report, neither the Nigerian Immigration Service nor the Senate President’s office had issued an official response to the allegation.