‘Senator Natasha’s passport was never seized’- Immigration fires back

The Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) has dismissed allegations by Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan that its officers attempted to block her from travelling abroad.

The lawmaker representing Kogi Central had earlier gone live on Facebook on Tuesday morning, claiming that immigration officials at the airport withheld her passport without justification.

“Having completed my second-year celebration, I decided to take a week off. I’m at the airport, and my passport has been withheld again. Have I committed any offence? Why are you withholding my passport?” Natasha lamented in the viral livestream.

The visibly angry senator accused the officers of harassment and vowed to sue the agency, insisting there was no court order restricting her from travelling.

“You can’t keep doing this every time. You are taking the law into your hands. There is no court order. I have not missed any court appearances. I am not a flight risk. So why are you treating me like a criminal?” she said.

Moments later, one of the officers returned her passport as she continued filming. “Sometimes you just have to be a rebel to get things right,” she remarked, thanking the officers.

But reacting swiftly, the NIS Public Relations Officer, Akinsola Akinlabi, denied that the senator’s passport was ever seized.

“NIS didn’t seize the distinguished senator’s passport,” Akinlabi told Channels Television. “She only went through routine immigration checks and was allowed to travel.”

He explained that officers merely conducted their standard verification process, which sometimes involves temporarily taking a traveller’s passport.

“The passport was never confiscated. Perhaps while waiting for the checks to be completed, she assumed she was being stopped from travelling,” he said, adding that the senator had since flown out.

Akinlabi, however, noted that he could not confirm whether the senator resisted handing over her passport but maintained that immigration officers acted within their lawful duties.

“She has travelled since then. The video was made while she was going through checks, not after. There was no attempt to stop her,” he added.

The Tuesday incident has since stirred online reactions, with many Nigerians calling for improved communication between security officials and VIPs to avoid public confrontations.