Drama at Abuja Airport: Senator Natasha accuses Immigration of passport seizure

By Chioma Obinagwam
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‎In a tense confrontation that unfolded at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja on Tuesday morning, Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, the outspoken representative of Kogi Central Senatorial District, alleged that officers from the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) seized her international passport on direct instructions from Senate President Godswill Akpabio. The incident, captured in a raw Facebook Live video, has exploded across social media, drawing sharp criticism and reigniting debates over political interference in Nigeria’s security apparatus.
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‎Airport standoff
‎Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan, a member of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), was en route abroad for a planned one-week break following the celebration of her second anniversary in the Senate. What began as a routine departure turned into a 20-minute ordeal when immigration officials reportedly flagged her as a “national security risk” and withheld her travel document without presenting a court order or formal justification.
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‎In the viral video, streamed directly from the airport terminal, the senator can be seen standing at the immigration counter, her voice laced with frustration and defiance. “Hello, fellow Nigerians. Good morning. Having completed my second year in office, I decided to take a week off. I am at the airport here, and my passport has been withheld again,” she began, emphasizing that this was not the first such incident. Flanked by apologetic officers—one audibly saying, “We are sorry ma”—Akpoti-Uduaghan demanded clarity: “Have I committed any offence? Why are you withholding my passport? There is no order from the court to withhold my passport and deny me travelling.”

‎See the link to the viral video:

‎Eyewitness accounts and reports indicate that the officers cited “instructions from above,” which the senator quickly linked to Senate President Akpabio. “The officer in charge told me that the Senate President, Senator Godswill Akpabio, instructed them to withhold my passport and prevent me from travelling because he claimed that each time I go abroad, I ‘spoil the image of the country’ by granting interviews to international media,” she alleged in the footage. The video, which has garnered thousands of views within hours, shows her husband, Chief Emmanuel Uduaghan, making frantic calls in the background as the delay mounted.
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‎After persistent pressure from the senator, who vowed to “be a rebel to get things right,” an immigration officer eventually returned the passport, allowing her to proceed. “Sometimes I think you just have to be a rebel to get things right. Then, you keep asking Nigerians to be good citizens,” she remarked bitterly as the ordeal concluded.
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‎Pattern of political tensions
‎This is not the first time Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan has clashed with immigration authorities or Senate leadership. In July 2025, a similar incident occurred at the same airport, where her passport was briefly confiscated en route to London, again without clear explanation. The senator, known for her vocal advocacy on issues like women’s rights, corruption, and gender-based violence, has a fraught history with Akpabio. In March 2025, she accused him of sexual harassment—a claim his office vehemently denied. More recently, she served a six-month suspension from the Senate over alleged misconduct stemming from disputes with the leadership, returning to her duties in September.
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‎Adding fuel to the fire, Akpoti-Uduaghan claimed in the video that President Bola Tinubu had personally intervened in her legal woes. “The President admitted that those cases were witch-hunting. So, there is no reason why my passport should be withheld,” she said, referring to two pending federal cases against her—one for criminal defamation and another for cybercrime—which she described as politically motivated. According to her, Tinubu directed Attorney-General Lateef Fagbemi to withdraw them, yet the travel restriction persisted.
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‎”Why is he [Akpabio] overruling boundaries?” she questioned, framing the seizure as a blatant overreach.
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‎Public outrage, broader implications
‎The video’s rapid spread on platforms like X (formerly Twitter) and Facebook has ignited a firestorm of reactions. Supporters hailed Akpoti-Uduaghan as a “fearless voice against tyranny,” with hashtags like #FreeNatashaPassport and #EndPoliticalHarassment trending nationwide. Civil society groups and opposition figures have condemned the incident as an abuse of power, echoing concerns over the weaponization of state institutions against dissenting lawmakers. “This is not just about one senator; it’s about the erosion of democratic norms,” tweeted activist @NigeriaPathfind, capturing the sentiment of many.
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‎Critics, however, urged caution, pointing to the senator’s history of high-profile media engagements and recent Senate floor dramas, including a confrontation with Akpabio over speaking rights on abortion legislation. As of press time, neither the NIS nor Akpabio’s office has issued an official response, leaving the allegations unverified but amplifying calls for an independent probe.
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‎What’s next?
‎Akpoti-Uduaghan confirmed she has retrieved her passport and is consulting her legal team on potential actions, including a possible fundamental rights enforcement suit. The incident comes amid heightened scrutiny of Senate dynamics under Akpabio’s leadership, with whispers of deeper factionalism within the National Assembly.
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‎For now, the video stands as a stark reminder of the fragile line between public service and personal vendettas in Nigeria’s political arena. As one X user put it: “Natasha’s rebel spirit is what we need more of—or it’ll be the death of accountability.” The nation watches, passports in hand, wondering who will blink first.

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