Wife Faces Jail Term for Destroying Husband’s Passport

Favour Igiebor, the Nigerian woman who destroyed her husband’s passport at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, may face a jail term if found guilty, according to the Nigeria Immigration Service Act of 2015 (as amended).

The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) has launched an investigation into the incident and summoned Igiebor for questioning. The service’s spokesperson, Kenneth Udo, described her action as a violation of Nigerian law.

Igiebor’s action was captured in a viral video, which showed her tearing up a Nigerian Standard Passport belonging to her husband at the airport. She later explained that her action was due to the stress her husband had put her through, saying, “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.”

However, human rights lawyer Collins Aigbogun stated that Igiebor’s action infringed on her husband’s constitutional right to freedom of movement. “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,” he said.

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. While there is no specific section outlining sanctions for passport destruction, the lawyer noted that Igiebor’s action could be considered a violation of her husband’s rights.

The husband, who chose to remain silent initially, recently spoke out, saying he had the full clip of the incident and would post it online. He expressed surprise at his wife’s actions, saying, “I never expected that she would come out and say what she said. These are some things that we can resolve as a family.”

The NIS has emphasized its commitment to upholding the provisions of the Immigration Act in the interest of national security and preserving the dignity and integrity of the nation’s legal instruments.