ABUJA, Nigeria – Human rights lawyer Femi Falana has cautioned that an official investigation by Nigerian security agencies into Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan’s attendance at the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) meeting in New York could result in “needless embarrassment” for the country.
The warning comes amid allegations by Senate President Godswill Akpabio that the senator’s actions humiliated the Nigerian government and its people.
Akpoti-Uduaghan, who represents Kogi Central, recently accused Akpabio of sexual harassment, a claim that followed a seating arrangement dispute in the Senate.
The senator was subsequently suspended for “gross misconduct” in connection with the altercation.
At the IPU meeting on 11 March, Akpoti-Uduaghan addressed her suspension, stating it was an attempt to silence her over the harassment allegations.
Reports emerged on Sunday, March 16, 2025, that the Department of State Services (DSS) and the National Intelligence Agency (NIA) have launched an investigation into how Akpoti-Uduaghan attended the IPU meeting without an official nomination.
However, Falana, in a statement issued on Sunday, warned that such a probe could expose Nigeria to “undeserved ridicule.”
“Finally, it is public knowledge that the Senate President, Senator Godswill Akpabio, had accused Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan of embarrassing the government and people of the Federal Republic of Nigeria by reporting her suspension by the Senate to the Inter-Parliamentary Union,” Falana’s statement read.
“Contrary to the jaundiced views of the Senate leader, it is the official probe of the circumstances of her trip by security forces that will expose Nigeria to needless embarrassment and undeserved ridicule,” he added.
Falana further urged the DSS and NIA to review the findings of past investigations into unauthorised international travel during the Sani Abacha military regime before proceeding with the current probe.
“Therefore, the SSS and NIA may study the report of the investigation of our illegal travelling by the Sani Abacha military junta before embarking on the futile attempt to probe Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan for having the temerity to externalise the ‘internal affair of the Senate,’” the statement continued.
“In fact, the probe will particularly embarrass some top officials of the Bola Tinubu administration who were once accused of travelling out of Nigeria to embarrass the defunct military junta,” Falana concluded.
The controversy has sparked debate over the limits of parliamentary discipline and the role of international bodies in addressing domestic political disputes.
As the investigation unfolds, observers warn that the situation could further strain Nigeria’s diplomatic reputation.
