Senate President Godswill Akpabio has been accused by Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan (PDP-Kogi Central) of directing Nigerian immigration officials to confiscate her foreign passport at the airport.
According to reports, the member said that the action made it impossible for her to travel overseas.
The legislator was seen confronting immigration officers at the airport about the purported seizure of her passport in a widely shared video on Tuesday morning.
She called the action a flagrant violation of her fundamental rights and an illegal restriction on her freedom of movement.
“Hello, fellow Nigerians,” Natasha said. Senator Natasha is who I am. I made the decision to take a week vacation after finishing my second year in office. My passport has been withheld once more, and I am currently at the airport.
“I was previously prevented from traveling despite not having committed any crimes, and there was no court order limiting me. According to the person in charge, Senator Godswill Akpabio, the president of the Senate, ordered them to keep my passport and stop me from traveling because he said that every time I travel overseas, I “spoil the image of the country” by giving interviews to foreign media.
Senator Natasha expressed her annoyance at what she called persistent intimidation and harassment and urged authorities to step in and put an end to the humiliation.
