Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan was briefly detained by immigration officials at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja on Thursday morning while trying to board a flight to the United Kingdom, PREMIUM TIMES has learnt.
Mrs Akpoti-Uduaghan, who represents Kogi Central in the Senate, was reportedly stopped and told she could not travel because her name had been placed on a watch list — allegedly at the request of the leadership of the National Assembly.
A family member familiar with the matter told PREMIUM TIMES that the senator was traveling with her husband to attend the graduation ceremony of her stepson in the UK when immigration officers blocked her at the departure terminal.
“She was told that the leadership of the National Assembly requested that she be considered a flight risk and placed on a watch list,” the family member said, asking not to be named for security reasons. “We are wondering why they treated her that way, given there is no court order restricting her movement and she has never missed any of her court appearances.”
The incident, which caused a brief stir at the airport, comes amid growing tensions between the senator and the leadership of the National Assembly.
Mrs Akpoti-Uduaghan is challenging the Senate’s recent decision to suspend her from her position after she openly protested the change of her seating position. She later accused the President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, of sexual harassment, an allegation Mr Akpabio has fiercely denied.
The Federal Government has also filed two criminal defamation cases against the Kogi senator. She has accused key figures in the Senate of orchestrating a witch-hunt, and her associates believe Thursday’s incident may be connected to that ongoing political confrontation.
Witnesses said the senator protested the travel restriction and was seen making several frantic telephone calls to senior immigration and government officials. After nearly an hour, she was cleared to board her British Airways flight.
“Her passport was eventually stamped and she was allowed to proceed,” one witness said.
When contacted shortly before takeoff, Mrs Akpoti-Uduaghan confirmed the incident to PREMIUM TIMES but declined to provide details. “The aircraft is about to take off,” she said.
Her family member said they hoped the senator would not be subjected to a similar ordeal when she returns to Nigeria in two weeks.
Immigration authorities are yet to comment on the matter. The spokesperson for the Service, Akinsola Akinlabi, said he would revert once he obtains details of the incident.
