Lady who destroyed husband passport faces imprisonment, says Immigration Act

Lady who destroyed husband passport faces imprisonment, says Immigration Act

 

The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) has commenced an investigation into a video circulating on social media that shows a female traveller destroying her husband’s international passport at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos.

The lady identified as Favour Igiebor, newstrends.ng learnt, could face an imprisonment, a fine or both, as stated in the Section 10(b) of the Immigration Act.

Public Relations Officer at the NIS, Kenneth Udo, disclosed in a statement issued in Abuja on Monday that the lady had been invited for further investigation.

Part of the statement read, “If the allegations are substantiated, her actions would have constituted a breach of Section 10(b) of the Immigration Act 2015 (as amended), with corresponding penalties outlined under Section 10(h) of the same Act.

“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.”

According to the law, any deliberate destruction of a passport is a serious offence punishable by fines, imprisonment, or both.

The specific penalties are outlined under Section 10(h) of the Act, which details the consequences of such offence.

Apart from tearing the passport, Nigeria’s currency (naira) is another national symbol whose mutilation or destruction is penalised by the law.

A few months ago, a popular crossdresser Idris Okuneye, aka #Bobrisky, was sentenced to jail for mutilating the Naira at the premiere of a movie in Lagos.

The background

The incident occurred at on Saturday, August 10, 2024, when Mrs. Igiebor tore her husband’s international passport shortly after their arrival in Nigeria.

The video of the event shows an agitated Mrs. Igiebor, who, when questioned about her actions, responded with the remark, “Is it your passport?”

The scene also captured her leading their children away from the airport walkway.

The destruction of the passport, a document issued by and belonging to the Nigerian government, has been interpreted as a desecration of the national document and a serious legal offence.

The footage also shows airport officials attempting to calm the situation, advising her husband not to react to the incident.