The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) has responded to claims by Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan that her international passport was seized at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, describing the incident as part of a “routine clearance procedure.”
Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan had alleged that Senate President Godswill Akpabio instructed immigration officers to confiscate her passport, preventing her from travelling abroad.
In a video that quickly went viral on Tuesday morning, the senator was seen questioning airport officials about the alleged seizure. She said:
“Having completed the celebration of my second year in office, I decided to take a week off. I’m at the airport, and my passport is being withheld again. I have committed no offence, and there is no order from the court to withhold my passport or deny me travel.”
She further claimed that she was told her passport was seized because she “smeared the country’s image” during past international engagements.
The live-streamed footage captured her confronting officials and demanding the return of her passport. Moments later, a male officer handed the document back, bringing the standoff to an end.
Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan described the incident as part of a recurring pattern of harassment and pledged to take legal action to halt what she described as “politically motivated intimidation.”
Contradicting reports circulating on social media, a senior NIS official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told *Vanguard* that the senator was not detained:
“What happened at the airport was just a routine. From your question, she was not detained. Her passport might have been taken for a routine clearance.”
The Service’s Public Relations Officer, Assistant Comptroller of Immigration (ACI) Akinsola Akinlabi, also weighed in, noting he was away from Abuja at the time but would confirm the details:
“I am away from Abuja at the moment, but I’ll find out what transpired.”
Also Read: Don Jazzy Reveals Why He’s Scared of Marriage
The episode comes just days after Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan celebrated her second year in office with events attended by top lawmakers, including Senate President Akpabio. It also echoes a similar incident months earlier when she accused airport authorities of preventing her from travelling abroad.
While the NIS maintains that the encounter was routine, the senator insists the repeated incidents constitute targeted harassment and abuse of power. As of press time, the Nigeria Immigration Service has yet to issue a formal statement addressing her allegations.
