Reports have emerged that Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan was held for nearly one hour by immigration officials at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja on Thursday while attempting to board a flight to the United Kingdom.
The senator, who was traveling with her husband to attend her stepson’s graduation ceremony in the UK, was reportedly stopped and informed that her name had been placed on a watch list, effectively preventing her from traveling. According to sources, the National Assembly requested that she be considered a flight risk and placed under watch.
“She was told that the leadership of the National Assembly requested that she be considered a flight risk and placed on a watch list. 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,” a source told Premium Times.
The Kogi senator was said to have made frantic calls during the incident, insisting on her right to travel. After nearly an hour of heated exchanges and verification processes, her passport was eventually stamped, and she was cleared to board the flight.
The incident comes amid an ongoing tussle between Senator Natasha and the National Assembly leadership following the reallocation of her Senate seat. Natasha has consistently rejected the new position, accusing the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, of orchestrating moves to undermine her representation, an allegation the Senate President has denied.
Tensions heightened earlier in the week when Natasha attempted to return to the Senate chamber during plenary on Tuesday but was blocked by security operatives. The senator claimed she was acting based on a court order allowing her to resume her seat, but the Senate leadership countered that no such order existed.
The latest incident at the airport has added to concerns around the senator’s treatment, with questions being raised over the legality of placing her on a watch list without a court order restricting her movement. Observers have noted that despite the political tensions, there has been no indication that the senator has missed any court appearances or violated any bail conditions that would warrant travel restrictions.
As of the time of filing this report, Senator Natasha is believed to have arrived in the UK to attend her stepson’s graduation, while her camp has yet to issue an official statement regarding the incident.
The development continues to stir conversations about the ongoing dispute between the senator and the National Assembly, highlighting broader concerns around the use of institutional processes in political disputes.