Sen Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan
The suspended lawmaker representing Kogi Central, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan has alleged that there are ongoing plans to arrest her upon her return to the country.
In a telephone interview with PREMIUM TIMES on Sunday, Akpoti-Uduaghan alleged that the move was linked to her participation in the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) meeting in New York on March 11. At the event, she raised concerns about her suspension from the Senate and allegations of s3xual harassment against Senate President Godswill Akpabio.
“I’m aware there are plans underway to have me arrested as soon as I arrive in Abuja,” she stated, though she did not specify which security agency was involved.
Earlier, it was reported that Nigeria’s intelligence agencies had launched an inquiry into how Akpoti-Uduaghan gained access to the IPU meeting without an official nomination. According to top sources, the State Security Service (SSS) and the National Intelligence Agency (NIA) are investigating whether her participation was facilitated by interest groups to embarrass Nigeria and its government.
At the IPU meeting, Akpoti-Uduaghan told international delegates that her suspension from the Senate was politically motivated to silence her for speaking out against misconduct in the legislature. In response, IPU President Tulia Ackson assured that the body would investigate the matter while allowing the Nigerian Senate to present its side.
However, Kafilat Ogbara, a Nigerian delegate and chairperson of the House Committee on Women Affairs and Social Development, countered Akpoti-Uduaghan’s claims. She read a letter from Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele, stating that the senator’s suspension was due to violations of Senate Standing Rules and not her allegations against Akpabio.
Akpoti-Uduaghan also alleged that after her speech at the IPU meeting, Senate President Akpabio sent three officials, led by the Chargé d’Affaires of the Nigerian Embassy in New York, to forcibly remove her from the United Nations premises.
“The Senate President Akpabio sent three staff, headed by the Chargé d’Affaires of the Nigerian embassy in New York, to evacuate me from the UN premises right after my speech. I was rescued by parliamentarians from other countries and the security,” she claimed.
Efforts to reach Senate President Akpabio or his spokesperson, Eseme Eyiboh, for comments were unsuccessful. Similarly, the Senate’s spokesperson, Yemi Adaramodu, could not be reached.
