Abuja, Nigeria — Godswill Akpabio, President of the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is reported to have given instructions to the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) to seize the passport of Natasha Hadiza Akpoti-Uduaghan, Senator representing Kogi Central, thereby preventing her from travelling.
According to multiple eyewitness reports and social-media posts, upon arriving at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja to depart for the United Kingdom, Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan’s international passport was withheld by immigration officers who alleged the action stemmed from “security orders.”
The alleged directive reportedly emanated from the office of the Senate President through the Comptroller General of the Nigeria Immigration Service, although no official documentation has been publicly produced to substantiate the move.
Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan was scheduled to travel for a personal engagement abroad when the incident occurred. According to her, the seizure lacked legal basis and was executed without a court order. Immigration officers reportedly declined to present any formal warrant or directive justifying the detention of the passport, instead citing unspecified “security orders.”
The timing and circumstances have raised questions given the ongoing high-profile conflict between Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan and Senate leadership, particularly relating to earlier sexual-harassment accusations she levelled against Akpabio and her subsequent suspension from the Senate.
Legal analysts say that seizing a citizen’s travel document without court order raises serious constitutional and human-rights issues, including potential violations of the right to freedom of movement, as provided under Section 41 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Activists argue the incident may signal misuse of state institutions to suppress dissent or punish political opponents, rather than genuine national-security concerns.
Opposition figures and civil-society groups have condemned the move as a dramatic escalation of hostilities within the Senate. They say the targeting of a sitting senator’s ability to travel — especially under opaque justification — risks damaging public confidence in democratic institutions and the rule of law. Supporters of the Senate leadership, however, deny any politically motivated action, claiming the decision was strictly a matter of national-security protocols, and not a personal vendetta.
Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan is reportedly considering legal action to challenge the passport seizure and to compel publication of any underlying order that justified the move. Observers are watching closely how the Senate, the Nigeria Immigration Service, and relevant security agencies will respond with official statements or documentation. Given the broader context of her contentious relationship with Senate leadership, the incident is likely to fuel an already-charged political climate and invite deeper scrutiny into the intersection of security power and parliamentary privilege in Nigeria.
