Kogi Central Senator, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, has claimed that Nigerian security officials are planning to arrest her upon her return to Nigeria. She linked the alleged plot to her participation in the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) meeting in New York on March 11, where she spoke about her suspension from the Senate and raised sexual harassment allegations against Senate President Godswill Akpabio.

Speaking to PREMIUM TIMES in a telephone interview on Sunday, Akpoti-Uduaghan, who is still in the United States, said:

“I’m aware there are plans underway to have me arrested as soon as I arrive in Abuja.”

However, she did not specify which security agency was behind the alleged move.

Security Agencies Probe Akpoti-Uduaghan’s IPU Attendance

Earlier reports indicated that Nigeria’s intelligence agencies, including the State Security Service (SSS) and the National Intelligence Agency (NIA), have launched an investigation into how Akpoti-Uduaghan attended the IPU meeting without an official nomination.

Sources within the administration told PREMIUM TIMES that the probe aims to determine:

• How she gained access to the meeting.
• Who facilitated her trip and accreditation.
• Whether her participation was orchestrated to embarrass Nigeria.

IPU Meeting and Allegations Against Akpabio

At the IPU meeting held at the United Nations headquarters in New York, Akpoti-Uduaghan described her Senate suspension as a politically motivated attempt to silence her. She also called for international intervention.

In response, IPU President Tulia Ackson assured that the body would investigate but also allow the Nigerian Senate to present its side of the story.

However, a Nigerian delegate to the IPU, Kafilat Ogbara, countered Akpoti-Uduaghan’s claims. Speaking at the UN Secretariat, Ogbara read a letter from Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele, which stated that the suspension was due to violations of Senate Standing Rules during plenary sessions—not because of her allegations against Akpabio.

Alleged Attempt to Remove Her From UN Premises

Akpoti-Uduaghan further alleged that shortly after her speech, three officials from the Nigerian government, led by the Chargé d’Affaires of the Nigerian Embassy in New York, attempted to forcibly remove her from the UN 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 United Nations premises right after my speech. I was rescued by parliamentarians from other countries and security,” she claimed.

Attempts to get a response from Senate President Akpabio were unsuccessful, as his spokesperson, Eseme Eyiboh, did not respond to calls or messages. Similarly, the Senate’s Spokesperson, Yemi Adaramodu, was unreachable.