By Adenike Lawal
Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan (Kogi Central) has accused Senate President Godswill Akpabio of ordering the seizure of her international passport by immigration officials, preventing her from travelling abroad.
In a viral video on Tuesday, the senator was seen confronting immigration officers who allegedly told her the directive came from Akpabio. She condemned the action as illegal and a violation of her rights.
“The officer said the Senate President ordered that my passport be withheld because I ‘damage Nigeria’s image’ abroad,” she said.
Neither the Nigerian Immigration Service nor Akpabio’s office had commented on the allegation as of press time.
The development follows an earlier petition Akpoti-Uduaghan submitted to the Inspector-General of Police, accusing Akpabio of orchestrating a defamation and intimidation campaign against her after she went public with sexual harassment claims.
Her lawyers alleged the senator had been targeted through cyberattacks and smear campaigns, which she described as an attempt to silence her politically and personally.
