VOP NG can confirm that the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) has removed Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan’s name from the controversial “No-Fly” list, which was allegedly ordered by Senate President Godswill Akpabio.
A senior immigration source at both the airport command and headquarters confirmed the development to VOP NGon Wednesday, disclosing that the order to restrict the senator’s travel had originally come from Akpabio, who allegedly accused her of “speaking negatively about the Senate” whenever she travelled abroad.
“It was confirmed that she has now been cleared from the list after that viral video, which the immigration management said portrayed the agency in a bad light,” the source explained.
Earlier this month, Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan, representing Kogi Central, had publicly accused the Senate Presidentof instructing immigration officials to seize her international passport at the airport to prevent her from leaving the country.
In a video obtained by VOP NG, the senator was seen confronting immigration officers, describing the seizure as a violation of her rights and an unlawful restriction of movement.
“Hello, fellow Nigerians. I’m Senator Natasha. Having completed my second year in office, I decided to take a week off. I’m at the airport, and my passport has been withheld again,” she said.
“This same thing happened before when I was stopped from travelling even though there was no court order. The officer told me that Senate President Akpabio instructed them to withhold my passport because he claimed that whenever I travel, I ‘spoil the image of the country’ by speaking to international media.”
The lawmaker, visibly frustrated, described the repeated incidents as harassment and intimidation, calling on relevant authorities to intervene.
Back in May 2025, VOP NG reported that Senator Natasha had petitioned the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, accusing Senate President Akpabio of orchestrating a smear campaign to silence her after she accused him of sexual harassment.
The petition, filed by her legal counsel, Dr. Ehiogie West-Idahosa (SAN), alleged that Akpabio masterminded a coordinated campaign of “criminal defamation, cyberstalking, and attempted assassination” against her, following her explosive interview on February 28, 2025, where she accused him of misconduct.
According to the petition, the campaign intensified after a social media commentator using the alias “Prof. Mgbeke” began publishing posts targeting the senator. Further investigations revealed the person behind the account to be Dr. Sandra Chidinma Duru, a Nigerian resident in Texas.
“She had never heard the name Sandra Duru until law enforcement officers requested that she identify her. What followed was a systematic, malicious, and well-orchestrated attempt to destroy her public image,” the petition stated.
The latest development from the Nigerian Immigration Service appears to mark a reprieve for Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan, who has consistently alleged persecution from powerful figures within the National Assembly.
As of press time, the NIS has not issued an official public statement confirming her removal from the list.
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