Woman who tore husband’s passport may face prosecution

The woman who tore her husband’s international passport on arrival at the Murtala Muhammad International Airport (MMIA) in Lagos on Saturday might face prosecution, sources told Daily Trust yesterday.

The couple with their three children arrived from Italy aboard a Royal Air Maroc flight, causing a drama that set the social media on fire at the weekend.

The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) in a statement said it is already investigating the matter, disclosing the woman has been invited.

However, a source at the MMIA told our correspondent yesterday that the incident happened at the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) area.

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“It happened at the customs area. The customs should have arrested her and handed her over to the immigration. It is a purely criminal issue and we are taking it up,” the immigration source said, pleading not to be named.

Section 10 (b) of the NIS Act 2015 stipulates that it is an offence to “Unlawfully alter, tamper with or mutilate any passport or any pages thereof. Subsection H also stipulates an imprisonment of 10 years or a fine of N2m on conviction for such an offender.

Speaking in an interview yesterday, the woman said the issues with her husband have been going on for years, saying she tore her husband’s passport for a reason.

“I am not a mad woman who would just come and act like that. I have my reasons. I have gone through so many things. So many of you are just commenting on the video, I am seeing so many comments, friends calling me, those that have never called me for ages are calling me, those that have heard from me 20 years ago are calling me. I am not like that,” she said.

However, the husband has responded saying the issue could have been resolved as a family.

“I never expected she could come out and be saying things this morning. This is something that we can solve as a family. But she is trying to push it up, no problem. I am following her,” he said.

The NIS spokesman, DCI KT Udo in a statement said 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,” the NIS said.