From Victor Osula, Abuja
A mild drama unfolded on Thursday morning at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, as operatives of the Nigeria Immigration Service temporarily stopped the suspended senator representing Kogi Central, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, from travelling out of the country.
Eyewitnesses said Senator Natasha, who arrived at the international terminal in the company of her husband, Chief Emmanuel Uduaghan, was intercepted by immigration officials as she attempted to board a British Airways flight to London.
She was reportedly flagged as a “national security risk,” and her international passport was seized by the officers, causing a brief standoff.
Natasha was said to have challenged the action, insisting that her passport could not be lawfully seized without a valid court order.
Her husband, in response, reportedly made a series of urgent phone calls as the delay lingered.
Although no official statement had been issued by the immigration service as of the time of filing this report, sources at the airport confirmed that her passport was later returned without any formal explanation, after which she was allowed to proceed through immigration and board her flight just in time.
