The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) has summoned a woman identified as Favour Igiebor for questioning after a video surfaced online showing her apparently tearing up her husband’s Nigerian passport at Lagos’ Murtala Mohammed Airport.
The video, widely shared on social media, depicts Mrs. Igiebor shouting at her husband while fragments of the passport lie scattered on the floor, drawing attention from dozens of fellow travelers.
Mrs. Igiebor had reportedly just returned from Europe with her husband and children when the incident occurred. The NIS, in a statement, noted that destroying a Nigerian passport is a criminal offense, punishable by up to a year in prison, and confirmed that the matter is under investigation.
Following the video’s widespread circulation, Mrs. Igiebor released a video of her own, where she alluded to personal suffering but did not delve into specifics.
She mentioned that she had considered tearing up the passport while still in Europe but decided against it, fearing the repercussions it might have on her husband.
Eyewitnesses in the airport video mentioned that the couple had been experiencing difficulties throughout the flight. Several travelers were seen consoling the husband, advising him to remain calm.
If Mrs. Igiebor is charged, she would be the first individual in Nigeria to face legal action for destroying a national passport.
This incident comes amidst the Nigerian government’s recent efforts to reinforce the protection of national symbols, including a crackdown on the practice of tossing around the national currency, the naira, at social events.
Report by Fatimah Ibrahim Danjumah