Human rights lawyer, Femi Falana (SAN), has advised security agencies to refrain from probing Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan over her participation in the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) meeting in New York.
He warned that such an investigation would lead to embarrassment for key officials in President Bola Tinubu’s administration.
Falana’s remarks came after reports surfaced that the Department of State Services (DSS) and the National Intelligence Agency (NIA) had initiated an inquiry into how the Kogi senator attended the IPU gathering without an official nomination.
The controversy stems from Akpoti-Uduaghan’s suspension from the Nigerian Senate, which she discussed at the international meeting. Senate President Godswill Akpabio accused her of damaging the government’s reputation by raising the issue at the IPU.
The senator, however, argued that her suspension was in retaliation for accusing Akpabio of sexual harassment.
In a statement on Sunday, Falana dismissed the probe as a fruitless effort that could expose Nigeria to unnecessary embarrassment and ridicule.
He stated: “It is well-known that Senate President Godswill Akpabio accused Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan of embarrassing the Nigerian government and its citizens by discussing her suspension at the IPU. However, contrary to Akpabio’s view, it is the official probe of her trip by security forces that will lead to unnecessary embarrassment and ridicule for Nigeria.”
Falana further suggested that the DSS and NIA could reference past investigations into illegal travel during the Sani Abacha military regime before pursuing the “futile” probe against the senator.
He added, “The investigation will particularly embarrass some senior members of the Bola Tinubu administration, who were once accused of traveling abroad to undermine the defunct military regime.”
