Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan went live on Facebook this morning and launched into a tirade after her passport was allegedly withheld by immigration officials at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.
Natasha, who represents Kogi Central in the Senate, named Senate President Godswill Akpabio as being responsible for the officials holding on to her passport for 20 minutes.
She alleged that it was a bid to stop her from leaving the country..
The senator streamed her confrontations with the officials at the airport terminal, querying them for holding on to her passport.
She can be heard alleging that Akpabio had instructed the Comptroller-General of Customs to deny him exit, declaring that this was wrong.
Natasha claimed that the last time something similar happened, the Senate President said she was smearing the name of Nigeria anytime she travelled.
She claimed that it took someone influential to call them to release her passport.
Some immigration officers in the video can be heard apologising to the Senator. He said, “We are sorry, ma,” but she fired back that she did not need their ‘Sorry’ but her passport.
Natasha said there was no order banning her from travelling, even though she had two Federal Government cases against her.
She disclosed that President Bola Tinubu had instructed the Attorney-General of the Federation to withdraw the charges against her.
The senator further claimed that President Tinubu also personally directed Akpabio to ensure all politically motivated cases against her were terminated.
She claimed that the Senate President admitted to Tinubu that ‘they were politically witch-hunting’ her.
The senator said she had not missed any of her court appearances and was not a flight risk.
Moments later, Natasha’s passport was returned to her.
She then commented that it was necessary, sometimes, to be a rebel to get things done in Nigeria.
“If I had not gone public, would you have given me back my passport?” she retorted.
Also Read: Senator Natasha arraigned for alleged defamation again
