A brief but tense moment unfolded at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja on Thursday, July 24, when immigration officials stopped Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan and temporarily held her international passport before allowing her to continue her journey.
The senator, who represents Kogi Central, was reportedly flagged by officials of the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) as she arrived at the international terminal alongside her husband, Chief Emmanuel Uduaghan. The couple was scheduled to board a British Airways flight to London.
Eyewitnesses said the incident occurred in the early hours of the morning, just ahead of the flight’s boarding call. According to multiple sources, immigration personnel approached the senator and seized her passport without providing an immediate explanation.
Despite the unexpected development, Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan maintained her composure and insisted there was no legal basis for the action. “There’s no court order authorising this. You have no right to withhold my passport,” she was heard telling the officers.
Sources familiar with the situation claimed the order to flag the senator originated from the Comptroller General of Immigration, allegedly following a directive linked to the office of the Senate President. However, no official reason was offered at the time of the incident, and no formal charges or restrictions were mentioned.
Chief Uduaghan was observed making several phone calls during the delay. After several minutes of tense exchanges, the passport was quietly returned to the senator, who then cleared immigration and boarded her flight as scheduled.
The incident, though resolved quickly, has prompted quiet concern among some observers who question the use of security protocols in political contexts. Several onlookers described the episode as an embarrassing misuse of state authority.
As of press time, both the Nigeria Immigration Service and the office of the Senate President have yet to issue statements regarding the event.
