Immigration seizes, releases Natasha’s passport at Abuja airport

Immigration seizes, releases Natasha’s passport at Abuja airport

The Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) caused a momentary travel scare at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, on Thursday, July 24, when it briefly seized Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan’s international passport.

The passport was returned after the brief seizure, allowing the senator to board a British Airways flight to London.

Witnesses at the airport said the senator, representing Kogi Central, arrived at the international terminal with her husband, Chief Emmanuel Uduaghan, only to be stopped by immigration officials who flagged her as a ‘national security risk’.

The incident occurred in the early hours of July 24, just before boarding commenced for the London-bound flight.

Travellers reported that Natasha remained calm and composed throughout the ordeal, insisting that the officers had no legal authority to seize her passport.

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“The court never authorised this. You have no right to hold my passport,” she told the officers, while urging them to allow her to proceed.

Sources at the airport said the directive to hold her travel documents was issued by the Comptroller General of Immigration, allegedly acting on the instructions of the Senate President. No official explanation was provided to the senator at the time of the seizure, further fuelling suspicions of political interference.

Chief Uduaghan was seen making a series of urgent phone calls as the delay dragged on. Minutes later, the senator’s passport was returned without any formal explanation, allowing her to swiftly proceed through immigration and board her flight just in time.

The incident has sparked quiet murmurs of concern over the use of security agencies for political purposes, with observers describing the situation as an unnecessary embarrassment and a potential abuse of institutional power.

Neither the Nigeria Immigration Service nor the office of the Senate President has issued a statement on the matter.

Immigration seizes, releases Natasha’s passport at Abuja airport