A Nigerian woman named Favour Igiebor, who tore up her husband’s passport at Murtala Muhammed International Airport, may face legal consequences under the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) Act of 2015 (as amended) if found guilty.
The Nigeria Immigration Service announced on Monday that it had initiated an investigation into the incident, which was captured in a viral video showing Igiebor destroying the passport, reportedly belonging to her husband, at the Lagos airport. The NIS has summoned her for questioning.
Kenneth Udo, spokesperson for the NIS, stated that Igiebor’s actions constitute a violation of Nigerian law. The agency’s statement emphasized that the investigation aims to uphold the provisions of the Immigration Act, which are essential for national security and the integrity of the country’s legal documents.
In response to widespread criticism, Igiebor released a video explaining her actions, citing the stress and difficulties she had endured in her marriage. She urged the public not to judge her actions without understanding the context, asserting that her decision to destroy the passport in Nigeria, rather than in Europe, was intentional to avoid further complications.
Her husband, in his own statement, acknowledged the viral video and suggested that the issue could be resolved within the family. He also indicated that more footage would be released to provide a fuller picture of the situation.
However, legal experts have noted a potential gap in the law. According to Section 49 of the NIS 2015 Act, altering a passport can result in imprisonment or a fine, but the act does not explicitly address penalties for the destruction of a passport. Despite this, human rights lawyer Collins Aigbogun highlighted that Igiebor’s actions could be seen as a violation of her husband’s constitutional right to freedom of movement, as the destruction of his passport effectively suspended that right.
(Punch)