There was a mild drama at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, on Tuesday, when Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan confronted officials of the Nigerian Immigration Service who seized her passport.

The lawmaker, who went live on social media, revealed that she was travelling abroad after rounding off ceremony for her second year in office.

Last week, the media was awash with reports of Natasha inviting her colleagues, including Senate President Godswill Akpabio, to activities to commemorate her second year in office.

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At the end of the celebrations, she opted to travel abroad but the officials attempted to prevent her.

In a video that has since gone viral, the lawmaker was seen protesting the action of the officials.

“Why are you withholding my passport? Hello, fellow Nigerians, good morning. This is Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan.”

“Having completed the celebration of my second year in office, I decided to take a week off. So I’m at the airport here and my passport is being withheld again. The same thing happened last time when my passport was seized.

“I have committed no offence. And there is no order from the court to withhold my passport and deny me travelling. The last time this thing happened, the Officer-in-Charge told us that the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, instructed them to withhold my passport and prevent me from travelling because he said each time I travel out of the country, I smear the country’s image by granting interviews in international media.

“Please, can you tell them to release my passport and this embarrassment should stop. You have no right to withhold my passport. You have no right to deny me exit and entry into my country. I have not committed any offence. And this must stop.”

A female official behind the counter told the senator: “Sorry”, to which she replied, “As a matter of fact, I have to sue you for continuously embarrassing me.”

“Sorry,” the Official said again, and the lawmaker fired back: “No, don’t tell me sorry. Can you please let me have my passport? You can’t keep doing this to me all the time. I have been standing here for the past 20 minutes.”

Akpoti-Uduaghan said the last time her passport was withheld, she had to call an influential Nigerian for it to be released.

She said President Bola Tinubu had directed that the cases against her be terminated as it had been confirmed to be politically motivated.

As she continued protesting, a male officer was seen approaching her with the passport which he handed over to her.