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The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) is probing the destruction of the country’s passport by a lady and has also invited the woman for questioning.
A viral video captured the female traveller identified as Favour Igiebor destroying the Nigerian Standard Passport – said to belong to her husband – at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport (MMIA) in Lagos.
It was initially unclear the reason for her action but in a Monday statement, the NIS spokesman Kenneth Udo said the incident is a violation of the law.
“The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) has launched a formal investigation following the circulation of a video on social media, showing a female traveler destroying a Nigerian Standard Passport at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos,” the statement read.
“The individual has been identified and invited for further investigation. 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.”
‘I Have Gone Through a Lot’
In the wake of the incident, the woman was spotted in a viral video saying she took the decision owing to family issues.
According to her, she had passed through many challenges in her marriage, prompting the action.
“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,” she said.
“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 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 apologised to the NIS for the action.