Immigration Service Dismisses Sen. Natasha's Accusation

Immigration Service Dismisses Sen. Natasha’s Accusation.
The senator alleges repeated harassment at airports.
NIS promises to investigate the incident further.

The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) has dismissed allegations by Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan that its officers seized her international passport at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, describing the incident as a routine clearance process.

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EKO HOT BLOG reports that the senator had earlier accused Senate President Godswill Akpabio of instructing immigration officers to confiscate her passport, preventing her from travelling abroad. In a video shared on her Facebook page on Tuesday, Akpoti-Uduaghan said she was stopped despite committing no offence and without any court order restricting her movement. She further alleged that the officers told her the action was because she “smeared Nigeria’s image” during past international engagements.

The footage showed the lawmaker confronting airport officials and demanding the release of her passport, which was eventually returned by a male officer after a brief exchange. The senator has since described the event as part of an ongoing “politically motivated harassment,” vowing to pursue legal action against those responsible.

A senior immigration officer, however, clarified that the senator was not detained, saying the act was a normal clearance exercise. “Her passport might have been taken for routine verification,” the official explained.

When contacted, the Service’s Public Relations Officer, Assistant Comptroller of Immigration, Akinsola Akinlabi, said he was away from Abuja at the time but would verify the details of the encounter.

The development comes days after the senator marked her second anniversary in office and months after a similar airport incident in which she also alleged attempts to restrict her travel. As of press time, the NIS had yet to issue a formal statement addressing the latest allegations.