On the morning of Tuesday, 4th November 2025, Natasha Akpoti‑Uduaghan, Senator representing Kogi Central, was confronted by officials of the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja. The immigration officers reportedly seized her passport .
The senator said only her husband’s passport had been processed and released, while hers was flagged and withheld. She reports that she was told her name had been placed on a watch list, and she was being prevented from travelling. “My husband and I submitted our passports for outward processing, but only my husband’s was stamped and released to him while mine was held. … I was told it was system-flagged by the orders of the Comptroller General of Immigration Services that I’m not to fly out of Nigeria.”
Eyewitnesses at the terminal say that the directive to hold her travel document was made at a very senior level, with sources suggesting the involvement of the office of Godswill Akpabio, the Senate President For her part, the senator insisted there was no court order or legal reason presented for the action: “The court never authorised this. You have no right to hold my passport,” she was heard telling the immigration officers.
After approximately 30 minutes of delay during which her husband was seen making urgent phone calls, the passport was quietly returned, and she proceeded to board the flight. The immigration spokesperson later described the incident as a “standard procedure” but provided no detailed explanation.
Political analysts say the episode deepens the already fraught relationship between Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan and Senate President Akpabio. Earlier this year, the senator accused Mr Akpabio of sexual harassment and has faced suspension from the Senate for other procedural matters.
Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan says the action at the airport appears politically motivated — a means to apply pressure or intimidate her. She says that President Bola Tinubu, in withdrawing certain politically-linked cases against her, had signalled that the environment for political interference should be cooling. Yet, according to her, this latest incident undermines such signals.
Neither the Nigeria Immigration Service nor the Office of the Senate President has publicly provided a detailed justification for the incident. Observers warn that, regardless of the underlying motives, such moves risk eroding public trust in institutions of travel, security, and legislative impartiality.
For viewers: What remains to be clarified is why the senator’s travel document was flagged, who precisely gave the order, and whether there is any legal basis (such as a court order) for placing her on a security or travel restriction list. Clarion Newschannel will continue following the story, including obtaining responses from the Senate President’s office and the Immigration Service.
Passport Drama at Abuja Airport: Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan Alleges Orders From Senate President Godswill Akpabio
