Immigration Speaks on Possible Punishment For Woman Who Tore Husband's Passport at Lagos Airport

• Favour Igiebor, who tore up her husband's passport at Murtala Muhammed International Airport, may face imprisonment if found guilty
• Kenneth Udo, NIS spokesperson, described Igiebor's actions as a violation of Nigerian law
• In a viral video, Igiebor explained that her actions were driven by personal stress and her difficult experiences with her husband

A Nigerian woman, Favour Igiebor, who tore up her husband's passport at Murtala Muhammed International Airport, could face a jail sentence if found guilty under the Nigeria Immigration Service Act of 2015 (as amended).

The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) announced on Monday, August 12, that it has launched an investigation into the incident, where Igiebor was seen destroying her husband's passport in a viral video.

The NIS confirmed that Igiebor has been summoned for questioning.

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Longer video shows man's reaction after his wife destroyed his passport at Murtala Muhammed airport

Legit.ng reports that while Section 49 of the NIS 2015 Act (as amended) stipulates imprisonment or a fine for those found guilty of altering or modifying a passport, the act does not specifically address the punishment for passport destruction.

Immigration: Her action was a violation of Nigerian law

Kenneth Udo, the spokesperson for the NIS, stated that Igiebor's actions constitute a violation of Nigerian law, The Punch reported.

The NIS statement partly stated:

“The Nigeria Immigration Service has initiated a formal investigation after a video surfaced on social media depicting a female traveller tearing up a Nigerian Standard Passport at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos.

“The Nigeria Immigration Service remains dedicated to enforcing the provisions of the Immigration Act to ensure national security and to protect the dignity and integrity of the country’s legal documents.”

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Nigeria Immigration takes action against woman who tore husband's passport at Lagos airport

Nigerians don't know the full story, woman reacts

In response to the widespread criticism of her actions, Igiebor, in another viral video shared explained that her behaviour was a reaction to the stress caused by her husband, Leadership reported.

She stated:

“You need to understand the context behind my actions; don't just judge by the act alone. I’m not someone who would act out irrationally. I have valid reasons for what I did, having endured a lot.

“When you reach a breaking point, you act out. I chose to do it in Nigeria rather than Europe to avoid causing him more trouble. Please refrain from commenting without knowing the full story. I've faced numerous personal challenges.”

I prefer to remain silent, Husband speaks

In response to his wife’s recent video, the man, who chose to remain unnamed, stated that he preferred to stay silent because he believed the matter could be settled “within the family.”

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He said:

“My wife posted a video this morning. I’m not going to comment further, but you can watch the video online—it’s on various social media platforms. I have the complete footage.

“She wasn’t aware that I had someone with my phone because my friend and I were handling some tasks. I plan to share the full clip. I didn’t expect her to make such statements. These are issues we should address privately as a family."

Nigerian passport gains visa-free access to 45 countries

In another report, Legit.ng reported that a recent analysis revealed that the Nigerian passport is among the 20 least valuable in 2024.

The Nigerian passport scores among the lowest 20 for 2024, a pattern that has continued for 10 years, according to data from the Henley Passport Index, which rates all passports in the world based on the number of destinations their holders can enter without a previous visa.

Source: Legit.ng