A Nigerian woman named Favour Igiebor, who tore up her husband’s international passport at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, could face a jail term for her actions if found guilty, according to the Nigeria Immigration Service Act of 2015 (as amended).
The NIS announced on Monday that it had opened an inquiry into the circumstances surrounding the destruction of a man’s passport by his wife, known as Favour Igiebor, and that she had been summoned for questioning.
Kenneth Udo, the NIS spokesperson, stated that Igiebor’s actions violated Nigerian law.
The investigation comes on the heels of a viral video showing Igiebor destroying a Nigerian Standard Passport, reportedly belonging to her husband, at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport in Lagos.
The NIS statement partly read, “The Nigeria Immigration Service has launched a formal investigation following the circulation of a video on social media showing a female traveler destroying a Nigerian Standard Passport at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos.
“The Nigeria Immigration Service remains steadfast in its commitment to upholding the provisions of the Immigration Act in the interest of national security and to preserving the dignity and integrity of the nation’s legal instruments.”
Despite considerable condemnation, Igiebor claimed in another viral video seen by our correspondent that her actions were motivated by the stress her spouse had put her under.
She said, “You have to ask what happened; don’t just look at the action alone. I am not a mad woman who would just come and act like that. I have my reasons; I have gone through many things.
“When it gets to your neck, you have to act. I didn’t want to make him go through a lot of stress; that’s why I waited till we got to Nigeria to do it rather than in Europe, where I could have done it. Don’t make comments without knowing what happened. I have gone through a lot of family issues here and there.”
In reaction to his wife’s recent video, the man, who did not reveal his name, stated that he preferred to remain silent because he believed the situation could be fixed “as a family.”
“My wife has posted something this morning. I don’t want to say anything, but I will leave you to watch the video. It is on various social media sites. I have the full clips.
“She didn’t know that I had someone with my phone because my friend and I came down here to do some things. I will post the full clip. I never expected that she would come out and say what she said. These are some things that we can resolve as a family,” he said.
However, findings by Chronicle NG indicate that according to Section 49 of the NIS 2015 Act (as amended), a person found guilty of changing or altering a passport may face imprisonment or a fine. However, there is no section for punishment in case of destruction in the act.
The section reads, “A person who alters or assists another in altering a travel document, or who produces or reproduces or assists in the production or reproduction of any travel document without lawful authority, commits an offence under Section 59 of the Act and is liable on conviction to a term of five years imprisonment or to a fine of one million naira or both.”
