NIS Warns Jail Time for Woman Who Tore Husband’s Passport

A Nigerian woman named Favour Igiebor, who shredded her husband’s passport at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, could face imprisonment if convicted, under the Nigeria Immigration Service Act of 2015 (as amended).

The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) disclosed on Monday that it had initiated an inquiry into the incident involving the destruction of a man’s passport by his wife, Favour Igiebor, and that she had been called in for questioning.

Kenneth Udo, the spokesperson for the NIS, stated that Igiebor’s actions constituted a breach of Nigerian law.

The probe was triggered by a viral video showing Igiebor ripping up a Nigerian Standard Passport, which was reportedly her husband’s, 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 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.”

Despite the broad disapproval of her behavior, Igiebor, in a different viral video watched by our reporter, clarified that her actions were a result of the strain caused by her husband.

In reaction to the recent video posted by his wife, the unnamed man stated that he opted to stay silent because he felt the matter could be settled “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 PUNCH Metro 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.”

In a Monday interview with one of Punch’s reporters, human rights attorney Collins Aigbogun mentioned that the Act does not contain any specific provisions for penalties related to passport destruction. He highlighted that Section 49 of the Act solely addresses penalties for alterations.

He, however, pointed out that the wife had infringed upon her husband’s constitutional right to freely move about.

“A passport is essential for cross-border travel. Possessing a Nigerian passport is not a privilege but a fundamental aspect of the right to freedom of movement.

“When someone destroys a passport, it infringes on the ancillary right to freedom of movement granted to her husband by the constitution. In essence, she has put that right on hold,” he said.

The PUNCH