Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan was briefly blocked by Nigeria Immigration Service officials at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja on July 24, 2025, when her passport was seized just before she attempted to board a flight to London, sources say. The senator—travelling with her husband for a family graduation—was informed that her name had been placed on a “flight risk” watch list at the alleged behest of National Assembly leadership, despite there being no court order restricting her movement .
Eyewitnesses report that Akpoti-Uduaghan calmly contested the seizure, insisting immigration officers had no legal basis to hold her documents. “The court never authorised this. You have no right to hold my passport,” she was overheard telling officials, while making urgent calls to senior government contacts .
After nearly an hour of tense negotiations, during which her husband lobbied behind the scenes, her passport was stamped and returned without explanation. She was then allowed to proceed through immigration and board her British Airways flight on schedule .
The incident comes amid heightened friction between Akpoti-Uduaghan and Senate leadership following her six-month suspension for alleging sexual harassment against Senate President Godswill Akpabio and protesting her seating reassignment. Critics argue the airport ordeal reflects political interference in immigration operations and a dangerous precedent for targeting dissenting lawmakers.
Legal experts warn that the Constitution guarantees freedom of movement to every Nigerian, and any attempt by non-judicial authorities to curtail that right could trigger a constitutional challenge. Akpoti-Uduaghan has vowed to pursue legal redress and called on the Immigration Service to clarify the watch-list criteria to prevent similar abuses.
