Renowned human rights lawyer, Femi Falana (SAN), has criticised the Department of State Services (DSS) and the National Intelligence Agency (NIA) for investigating Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan’s participation in the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) meeting in New York.

Falana warned that the probe could backfire and embarrass senior officials in President Bola Tinubu’s administration.

“The official probe of the circumstances of her trip by security forces will expose Nigeria to needless embarrassment and undeserved ridicule,” he stated on Sunday.

Reports indicate that the security agencies launched the inquiry after Akpoti-Uduaghan, who was recently suspended from the Senate, attended the IPU meeting without an official nomination.

READ ALSO: DSS, NIA launch investigation into Natasha’s attendance at IPU meeting

Senate President Godswill Akpabio accused her of embarrassing the government by disclosing her suspension at the event.

However, Akpoti-Uduaghan insists the suspension was in retaliation for her allegations of sexual harassment against Akpabio.

Falana, condemning the investigation, likened it to repressive tactics used during the military regime of General Sani Abacha.

“In fact, the probe will particularly embarrass some top officials of the Bola Tinubu administration who were once accused of traveling abroad to criticise the military junta,” he added.

The senior lawyer advised the DSS and NIA to reconsider their priorities and focus on pressing national security concerns rather than politically motivated investigations.

A Nigerian businessman, Onyelike Darlington, has reacted after he discovered that a man whom he described as m@d,used his wedding banner to build a shelter.  Onyelike, who got married in 2022, disclosed this in a Facebook post on Sunday, March 16, 2025.  Our once cherished and precious wedding banner, one mad man used it now and built his/ her own house somewhere. The Vanity of life, he wrote.      The post The vanity of life – Nigerian businessman reacts after a m@.d man used his wedding banner to ‘build a house’ appeared first on Linda Ikeji Blog.

The Federal Government has launched an investigation into the attendance of suspended Kogi Central Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan at the recent Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) meeting in New York, an event she claims has now put her at risk of arrest upon her return to Nigeria.

According to Premium Times, government sources revealed that Akpoti-Uduaghan attended the event without undergoing the required nomination process.

The Department of State Services (DSS) and the National Intelligence Agency (NIA) are reportedly leading the probe to determine how she gained access to the meeting and whether any individuals or organizations facilitated her participation.

Calls for an investigation intensified after Akpoti-Uduaghan’s speech at the IPU on March 11, where she alleged that she was being persecuted in Nigeria for rejecting sexual advances from Senate President Godswill Akpabio.

ALSO READ: Trouble looms for Akpabio as Natasha takes ‘sexual harassment’ case to UN

She also acknowledged that, following her suspension, her participation in the meeting was unauthorized.

Speaking with Premium Times on Sunday, Akpoti-Uduaghan claimed she had received indications that she might be arrested upon her return to Abuja.

“… I’m aware there are plans underway to have me arrested as soon as I arrive Abuja,” she said.

She further alleged that Nigerian officials attempted to remove her from the United Nations premises following her speech.

“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 the security.”

Government sources stated that the investigation would focus on verifying whether she obtained the necessary credentials, whether external parties assisted her, and whether her statements misrepresented Nigeria’s interests.

Addressing how she was able to attend the IPU meeting despite not being an official delegate, Akpoti-Uduaghan explained:

ALSO READ: Kogi women defend Akpabio – lambast Natasha over sexual harassment allegation

“I registered online as a senator. The suspension does not remove my legitimacy as a senator. I registered online and got a pass.”

“I attended the same programme last year and was already on the mailing list. After I got a pass, I bought my own ticket and funded my trip and participation at the event.”