Nigerian Woman Faces Possible Jail Term After Destroying Husband’s Passport at Lagos Airport

A Nigerian woman, Favour Igiebor, may face a jail term after tearing up her husband’s passport at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos, a violation of the Nigeria Immigration Service Act of 2015 (as amended). 

The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) announced an investigation into the incident on Monday, which could lead to legal consequences for Igiebor if found guilty.

The incident, captured in a viral video, shows Igiebor destroying the Nigerian Standard Passport belonging to her husband at the bustling international airport. 

The act sparked outrage online and prompted the NIS to summon Igiebor for questioning. 

Kenneth Udo, the spokesperson for the NIS, emphasised that her actions constituted a breach of Nigerian law.

In an official statement, Udo reiterated the NIS’s commitment to enforcing the Immigration Act and maintaining the integrity of the country’s legal documents. 

“The Nigeria Immigration Service has launched a formal investigation following the circulation of a video on social media showing a female traveller 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,” the statement read.

As the video of the incident continued to gain traction, Igiebor posted another video explaining her actions. 

In this emotional clip, she described the stress her husband had caused her, leading her to take such drastic measures. 

“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,” she explained.

Her husband, who spoke with PUNCH Metro but chose to remain anonymous, responded to his wife’s video by expressing his desire to keep the matter private. 

He suggested that the issue could be resolved within the family, noting, “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.”

However, the NIS Act of 2015 does prescribe penalties for altering or producing travel documents without authorisation, it does not explicitly address the destruction of such documents. 

Section 49 of the Act states that anyone found guilty of altering a passport could face up to five years in prison or a fine of one million naira, or both. 

Although the law is silent on the specific punishment for passport destruction, Igiebor could still face severe legal consequences if the investigation leads to her prosecution. 

The outcome of this type of case will undoubtedly be closely watched as it unfolds, potentially setting a precedent for how similar cases might be handled in the future.