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Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan alleges that immigration officers seized her passport on the orders of Senate President Godswill Akpabio.
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The lawmaker describes the act as illegal and a violation of her right to free movement.
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She had previously accused Akpabio of leading a smear and intimidation campaign against her.
The Senator representing Kogi Central, Hon. Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, has accused Senate President Godswill Akpabio of directing immigration officers to confiscate her international passport at the airport.
In a video on Tuesday, Senator Natasha was seen confronting immigration officials who allegedly blocked her from boarding her flight.
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She described the incident as an unlawful restriction of movement and a gross violation of her fundamental rights.
“Hello, fellow Nigerians. I’m Senator Natasha. Having completed my second year in office, I decided to take a week off. I’m at the airport here, and my passport has been withheld again,” she said in the video.
The lawmaker said the same incident occurred earlier this year, alleging that the Senate President personally instructed the action.
“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 added.
Senator Natasha expressed frustration over what she described as repeated harassment and intimidation, calling on authorities to intervene and end the embarrassment.
As of the time of filing this report, neither the Nigerian Immigration Service nor the Senate President’s office had issued any official response.
In May 2025, SaharaReporters reported that Senator Natasha petitioned Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, accusing Senator Akpabio of masterminding a coordinated smear campaign to silence her sexual harassment allegations.
READ ALSO: Natasha Reconciles With Akpabio, Invites Senate President to Project Commissioning in Kogi
In a statement signed by her lead counsel, Dr. Ehiogie West-Idahosa (SAN), the petition alleged that Senator Natasha’s safety, reputation, and political career were under attack in a “malicious campaign of criminal defamation, cyber-stalking, and attempted assassination.”
According to the petition, the campaign began after she publicly accused Akpabio of sexual harassment on national television in February 2025.
The document also linked a Texas-based Nigerian woman, Dr. Sandra Chidinma Duru, to an online smear campaign allegedly coordinated with the Senate President.
Evidence submitted by her lawyers reportedly included broadcast recordings, witness statements, and call logs linking Duru to Akpabio and other political actors.
