Sunday Karim, a member of the House of Representatives from Kogi State, is currently being prevented by the State Security Service from boarding a flight at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, the lawmaker has told Premium Times.
Mr. Karim, representing Yagba East and West Federal Constituency, says he was on his way to the United States when state agents suddenly seized his passport as he tried to clear immigration.
The lawmaker said he was scheduled to travel by Air France, and that the flight was already boarding when he was blocked.
Mr. Karim, a PDP lawmaker, said his luggage had already been checked in before the incident, adding that he has “absolutely no prior notice” that the SSS was on his trail.
It is not immediately clear why Mr. Karim is being detained, but law enforcement agencies have recently focused on the activities of lawmakers in the wake of the budget padding scandal.