There was mild drama at the National Assembly on Tuesday when lawmakers in the Senate hesitated to second a motion raised by Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan concerning the alleged abuse of Nigerian women in Libyan prisons.
The senator, who represents Kogi Central under the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), had moved a motion seeking urgent intervention to repatriate Nigerian women said to be languishing in Libyan detention facilities.
In her presentation, Akpoti-Uduaghan alleged that several of the detained women were being subjected to sexual exploitation by prison officials and were forced to bear children while in custody. She appealed to the red chamber to mandate the Nigerian Immigration Service to work with Libyan authorities for their safe return home.
However, after she concluded her motion, the atmosphere in the chamber turned tense when Senate President Godswill Akpabio called for a seconder — a necessary step before debate could proceed. To the surprise of many, no senator, not even among the female lawmakers, initially rose to support the motion.
The chamber was momentarily thrown into silence as lawmakers avoided eye contact. It took the Senate Leader, Opeyemi Bamidele, standing up to second the motion before proceedings could continue.
POLITICS NIGERIA recalls that Senator Natasha resumed at the senate earlier this month following a 6-month suspension over accusations of Sexual Assault she levelled on Senate President, Godswill Akpabio.
The article was originally published on Politics Nigeria.
