Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan (PDP/Kogi Central) has reported that her passport was seized by Nigerian immigration officers at an airport, preventing her from traveling abroad. This incident occurred shortly after she celebrated her second anniversary in the Senate by commissioning projects in Kogi Central.
In a live social media broadcast, Akpoti-Uduaghan expressed her frustration and questioned immigration officials about the confiscation. She accused Senate President Godswill Akpabio of ordering the seizure, alleging that he claimed her travels abroad tarnish Nigeria’s image.
“This is an unlawful restriction of my movement and a gross violation of my fundamental rights,” she stated in the video. The senator recounted a previous incident in which her passport was withheld, supposedly on Akpabio’s orders, but it was eventually released after intervention from an influential figure.
Akpoti-Uduaghan also claimed that President Bola Tinubu had instructed the Attorney General, Lateef Fagbemi, to withdraw all ongoing cases against her. Despite the passport seizure, it was later returned to her by immigration officials.
This incident adds to the senator’s ongoing tensions with Akpabio, which previously resulted in her six-month suspension from the Senate over a dispute regarding seat reallocation. She returned to her duties on September 24, 2025.
