Kogi Central Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan has alleged that Nigerian safety officers are planning to arrest her upon her return to Nigeria.
Mrs Akpoti-Uduaghan claimed the transfer is linked to her participation within the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) assembly in New York on 11 March, the place she raised issues about her suspension from the Senate and sexual harassment allegations towards the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio.
She disclosed this to PREMIUM TIMES in a phone interview on Sunday.
“I’m conscious there are plans underway to have me arrested as quickly as I arrive Abuja,” Mrs Akpoti-Uduaghan, who continues to be within the US after the IPU assembly, mentioned.
The senator didn’t, nevertheless, say which of the safety businesses was plotting her arrest.
PREMIUM TIMES had earlier reported that Nigeria’s inner and exterior intelligence businesses have launched a probe into how she gained entry to the assembly with out an official nomination.
A high-ranking administration official and two prime safety officers concerned within the inquiry confided in PREMIUM TIMES that the State Safety Service (SSS) and the Nationwide Intelligence Company (NIA) are working to find out how Mrs Akpoti-Uduaghan attended the worldwide assembly with out approval, who facilitated her journey and accreditation, and whether or not curiosity teams orchestrated her participation to embarrass Nigeria, its authorities and its individuals.
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The IPU assembly
On 11 March, Mrs Akpoti-Uduaghan attended the IPU assembly on the United Nations headquarters in New York, the place she narrated the circumstances surrounding her suspension from the Senate.
She alleged that the suspension was politically motivated to silence her for talking out towards misconduct within the legislative chamber and thereafter sought worldwide intervention.
In response, IPU President ,Tulia Ackson, mentioned the parliamentary physique would examine the matter however would additionally permit the Nigerian Senate to current its facet of the story.
ALSO READ: EXCLUSIVE: How I acquired entry to attend IPU assembly in New York – Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan
Nonetheless, a Nigerian delegate to the IPU assembly, Kafilat Ogbara, countered Mrs Akpoti-Uduaghan’s claims when she (Ogbara) addressed journalists on the UN secretariat a day after the previous ’s attendance on the IPU assembly.
Mrs Ogbara, the chairperson of the Home Committee on Ladies Affairs and Social Growth, learn a letter from Senate Chief Opeyemi Bamidele, stating that Mrs Akpoti-Uduaghan’s suspension was resulting from violations of Senate Standing Guidelines throughout plenary classes and never due to her allegations towards Mr Akpabio.
Alleged try and take away her from the UN premises
Mrs Akpoti-Uduaghan alleged that shortly after her speech on the IPU assembly, the senate president despatched three officers led by the Chargé d’affairs of the Nigerian Embassy in New York to forcibly take away her from the United Nations premises throughout the IPU assembly.
“The Senate President Akpabio despatched three employees headed by the Chargè D’Affairs of the Nigerian embassy in New York to evacuate me from the United Nations premises proper after my speech. I used to be rescued by parliamentarians from different nations and the safety,” she alleged.
The senate president couldn’t be reached for remark. His spokesperson, Eseme Eyiboh, didn’t choose up PREMIUM TIMES’ calls to his cellular phone or reply to a textual content message.
Equally, the Senate’s Spokesperson, Yemi Adaramodu, couldn’t be reached as his cellular phone didn’t join..
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