In a dramatic turn of events at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport on Wednesday morning, immigration officers briefly seized the passport of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan.
The senator, who represents Kogi Central in the National Assembly, arrived at the airport alongside her husband, Chief Emmanuel Uduaghan, intending to board a British Airways flight to London. But just as she approached immigration clearance, officers pulled her aside and informed her that her name had been flagged on a “security watchlist.”
Eyewitnesses described tense moments as officials held on to her international passport without offering any clear explanation. “You have no right to hold my passport. There is no court order authorizing this,” the visibly composed senator was heard telling the officers.
The incident unfolded just before dawn on July 24, 2025, leaving fellow passengers puzzled and prompting whispers of political machinations behind the scenes.
Sources within the airport claimed that the directive came from the highest levels of the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), allegedly acting on instructions linked to the office of the Senate President.
However, no official documentation or legal justification was presented to the senator at the time.
As the delay stretched on, Chief Uduaghan was seen making frantic calls, trying to resolve the matter before boarding closed. After several tense minutes, immigration officers returned the passport — again without explanation — and Senator Natasha was cleared to board her flight just in time.
The incident has since triggered outrage among political observers and civil society actors, many of whom view it as a troubling sign of the growing use of state institutions for partisan reprisals.
“This is a clear attempt to intimidate a sitting senator,” one airport official, who asked not to be named, remarked. “There was no lawful basis for what happened.”
As at press time, neither the Nigeria Immigration Service nor the Senate President’s office had issued any statement regarding the seizure.
The episode added to the growing list of controversies surrounding the treatment of lawmakers critical of establishment forces — raising fresh questions about the independence of Nigeria’s security and border control systems.