Senator Natasha Alleges Passport Withheld, Blames Akpabio for Preventing Travel

Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, representing Kogi Central Senatorial District, has alleged that her international passport was withheld by immigration officials at the airport, preventing her from traveling abroad. She directly accused the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, of ordering the seizure.

Dependable NG reports that the lawmaker raised the alarm during a live broadcast on her Facebook page on Tuesday morning, detailing the incident which occurred as she attempted to take a week off after celebrating her second year in the Senate. She maintained that she had committed no offense and that there was no court order restricting her movement.

According to Senator Akpoti, this was a repeat occurrence. She stated, “having completed the celebration of my second year, I decided to take a week off and my passport is being withheld again. The same thing happened.” She insisted that the action constituted an unlawful restriction of her movement and a gross violation of her fundamental rights as a citizen.

The Senator further claimed that an official involved in the last incident had provided a specific reason and directive. “The last time it happened, the officer in charge told us that the Senate President Godswill Akpabio instructed them to withhold my passport and prevent me from traveling,” she alleged. On the previous occasion, the reason given was reportedly that the Senate President felt she “smear[s] the country’s image” by granting interviews to international media when she travels abroad.

Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan has faced several public confrontations with the Senate leadership, including a highly publicized six-month suspension which began in March 2025 following a dispute and allegations of misconduct against the Senate President. Reports indicate that following her public outcry via the live video, the Nigerian Immigration Service eventually released her passport.