The Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) has returned the passport of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan after a wave of public outcry and condemnation on social media.

Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan, representing Kogi Central Senatorial District, was stopped by immigration officers on Tuesday morning, and her passport was withheld without any official reason or explanation provided.

The lawmaker, who was visibly frustrated, had accused Senate President Godswill Akpabio of ordering the seizure, alleging it was a move to prevent her from traveling and carrying out her senatorial duties.

“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 happened, the officer in charge told us that the Senate President, Godswin Akpabio instructed them to withhold my passport and prevent me from travelling because he said each time I travel out of the country, I spoil the country’s image by granting interviews out 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 entrance into my country. I have not committed any offence and this must stop. No, this must stop.

“As a matter of fact, I think I have to sue you for continuously embarrassing me. No, don’t tell me sorry. Can I please have my passport? You can’t keep doing this to me all the time,” she said.

Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan views the incident as part of a recurring pattern of harassment, pointing out that her passport was previously seized under similar circumstances, only to be released after intervention from influential figures.

She continued, “There is no reason why. You have no right to do that, madam. You have no right. You are taking laws into your hands. There is no court order. I have not missed any of my court appearances.

“I have attended all my court sessions. I am not a flight risk. I am not a risk to my country. So why are you treating me like a criminal? Can I have my passport, please? Thank you very much. Sometimes I think you just have to be a rebel to get things right. Then you keep asking Nigerians to be good citizens.

Minutes after her public protest gained traction online, the NIS reportedly bowed to pressure and released her passport.

“If I had not gone public, would you have given me my passport,” she added.

The Department of State Services (DSS) has dismissed 115 of its personnel as part of ongoing internal reforms aimed at maintaining discipline and integrity within the agency.This was made known in a statement on the Service’s official X account on Tuesday, stating that the action followed a review process which identified the affected individuals, whose names have now been published on its official website.

The DSS also warned members of the public against engaging in any form of transaction or communication with those dismissed, noting that some of them continue to impersonate DSS officials.

The Service reiterated its commitment to professionalism and urged citizens to report suspicious activities through its official helpline or email.

The statement reads, “As part of the ongoing reforms in the Department of State Services (DSS), the public is hereby informed that a total of 115 personnel have been dismissed over a period.

“In addition to earlier disclaimers on the duo of Barry Donald and Victor Onyedikachi Godwin, the Service finds it necessary to warn citizens of the fraudulent activities of some of these persons still posing as DSS personnel.

“Members of the public are therefore advised to desist from any official dealing with these individuals who have been dismissed by the Service. 

“For clarity, the identities of the affected persons have been published on the website of the Service (dss.gov.ng/media/more/4). 

“For requests, enquiries or complaints, the Service can be reached on 09088373515, or via email: dsspr@dss.gov.ng.”

In response to the action taken by U.S. President Donald Trump on October 31, 2025, designating Nigeria as a country of particular concern, the ADC has released its statement.

According to the statement signed by Bolaji Abdullahi, the National Publicity Secretary African Democratic Congress (ADC), the party stated as follows:

1. We are guided by the painful reality that what is really at stake on this issue are the thousands of human lives that have been lost to insecurity in Nigeria, irrespective of their tribe, religion or region.

We therefore seize this moment to pay tribute to the memory of all the victims and express our deepest sympathies to their families.

2. The statement by President Trump reminds us of the greater global concern about the sanctity of human life and the cardinal responsibility of national governments to protect the lives of people who live within their borders.

It reminds us that in the modern world, concern for human rights, for which right to life is the most fundamental, transcends national boundaries and that the dignity and respect of nations are no longer measured by their economic strength alone, but also by their willingness and capacity to protect their own citizens.

3. It is sad to note that it is in this most sacred mandate of government that this administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has failed most. Available reports indicate that nearly 15,000 lives have been lost to sundry violent activities since this administration assumed office in 2023.

These deaths have occurred across regions and religions, underlining a national crisis that cuts across all divides and still endangers us all, regardless of tribe, region or religion.

Entire communities have been sacked, worshippers have been slaughtered in religious spaces, and bandits now control large territories in our country, waging war at will and levying taxes on citizens with impunity.

Boko Haram, once declared as “technically degraded,” is once again growing in strength, while another international terror group make open claims of carrying out successful attacks on Nigerian soil.

4. Under this administration, terror and violence have expanded their reach, from the extreme east and west of the north to its central part.

On October 31, 2025, the very day that President Trump announces his concern about Nigeria, another terror group, JNIM, an Al-Qaeda affiliate which had been active in the Sahel region, announced a successful attack in Kwara State, which serves as a gateway to the southern part of the country.

The crisis that we face is therefore not about any ethnic or religious group being targeted for killing; it is an existential crisis that imperils all Nigerians.

Quite significantly, it is also not about which region or religion has lost more lives; it is about every individual’s right to life. Life and death are absolutes and they must never be reduced to statistics.

The ADC believes that one life lost that could have been saved, is one death too many. 5. The problem of insecurity in Nigeria did not start with President Tinubu.

The problem is that President Tinubu has refused to acknowledge that the crisis has got worse under his watch and has refused to accept responsibility.

Instead, Nigerians have been met with excuses, cruel silence or utter indifference, and political posturing that mocks the tragedy of victims and their families.

7. The ADC will also like to draw attention to the structural and diplomatic failures that continue to deepen Nigeria’s vulnerability on the international stage.

We would like to ask, why has the Nigerian government failed to appoint ambassadors to key countries, more than two years into its term?

How can a government that has been boasting of unprecedented revenue success continue to give lack of fund as excuse for not appointing ambassadors?

Why has our foreign policy become so deeply personalised, focused on the image of the president and his interests, rather than the image of Nigeria and the interests of the Nigerian people?

Why are there still no unified national security strategy, no regional coordination, and no meaningful engagement with the communities most affected?

8. Under President Tinubu, Nigeria has declined both as a continental and a regional leader. Nothing underlines this decline more than the fracturing of the ECOWAS under his watch.

A region that once looked up to us for direction and leadership on issues of democratization and security now doesn’t think we matter anymore as smaller countries watch us fumble aimlessly with our own domestic crisis. These failures are not isolated.

They are all connected, pointing to a government that is so incompetent, so narrow-minded, and yet so blindly arrogant.

9. If this government had been less obsessed with politics, propaganda and self-celebration, it would have taken every single violent attack seriously.

It would have documented every single one of them, and in every single case, it would have demonstrated to Nigerians and to the world what it was doing to bring perpetrators to justice, it would have acknowledged its weaknesses, it would have asked for help; it would rallied Nigerians for the great challenge and it would have showed the world that it truly cared about every Nigerian life.

And perhaps, this situation would have been averted.

10. In conclusion, the African Democratic Congress would like to recommend the following:

i. A full overhaul of the national security apparatus, including an independent audit of operations, leadership, and strategy.

ii. Immediate appointment of qualified ambassadors, to restore Nigeria’s diplomatic presence and strategic influence.

iii. A reset of foreign policy, grounded in national interest, not personal promotion, with renewed engagement across ECOWAS, the AU, and the UN.

iv. Urgent economic reforms, focused on price stability, a credible plan to ease inflation, and verifiable social welfare system to ease the suffering of the poor across the country.

v. An end to the personalization of public institutions, and a return to accountable, citizen-focused governance.

11. We appreciate the American president and other world leaders for their concern about the security situation in our country.

We will however urge that such concerns should be translated into supporting Nigeria to grow her democracy and develop its capacity to solve its own problems.

We believe that mobilizing armed troops or even a mere threat of doing so would do more harm than good and ultimately prove counter-productive to our democratic aspiration and the long-term unity and stability of our country.

Nigeria is not beyond saving, but time is running out. We must act now, with courage, clarity, and a commitment to protect the lives and dignity of every Nigerian. Certainly, Nigeria can not continue like this.