"Please, I am begging everyone. The Immigration has seen my passport and confirmed that it is intact."
The husband of Favour Igiebor has disclosed that his wife did not tear his international passport, as captured in a viral video.
The controversy began over the weekend after a video surfaced showing Mrs Igiebor, in a fit of rage, with her husband's torn passport on the floor at Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos.
The video drew widespread criticism, and made headlines.
PREMIUM TIMES reported that despite Mrs Igiebor's defence in another video that her actions stemmed from heated family disputes, the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) summoned her for questioning.
Just a skit
In a video on Wednesday via the family channel Jejoja FamilyTV, the husband made a U-turn, saying it was just a skit. He urged the public and bloggers to "stop spreading misinformation."
"This is Jejoja FamilyTV1. I'm here with my kids to appeal to the Nigerian public and the world. What my wife said has nothing to do with a passport.
"Please, to all bloggers, when you blog, do it responsibly and don't spread misinformation. She never tore my passport, and she never damaged my passport. My passport is intact. What we were doing was a skit. It was just a skit.
"This was someone's story of what happened, and we were acting it out and sharing it with the world, but I didn't expect bloggers to take it this far. I am pleading with national TV, Tunde Ednut, Daddy Freeze, and many others--too many to remember. Please, I am begging everyone," he said.
Mr Igiebor also confirmed that the NIS had inspected his passport and confirmed that it was undamaged."The Immigration has seen my passport and confirmed that it is intact. No one should try to drag this issue to the world. These are my kids, Jeff and Joella. Tell the world that they should try and understand, say 'please,"'. And they (children) echoed, 'please.'
Mrs Igiebor's husband continued, "We are fully bonafide Nigerians and would never go against the law by destroying a Nigerian passport. It's simply not possible. I have my passport fully intact."
He concluded by apologising for the skit gone wrong.
Background
In the initial viral video, torn pieces of the passport were visible on the floor as Mrs Igiebor yelled and separated her children from her husband.
She was heard saying, "I tore it," and threatening him by adding, "You will stay here in Nigeria; this is where you'll remain." The husband, visibly confused, was left speechless in the video.
Her emotional outburst hinted at deeper family conflicts and long-standing issues within their relationship.
In a follow-up video, Mrs Igiebor explained her actions and stated that she had been pushed to her limit and wanted to make a point. She also revealed that they reside in Italy and that she chose to act out in Nigeria rather than Europe to avoid further complications.
The wife said, "You must act when it gets to your neck. I didn't want to make him go through a lot of stress, so I waited until 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. Is it when I die, you people will know this woman did not speak out? Actions speak louder than words. I gave him my action to know I have been bearing it."
The Nigeria Immigration Service responded swiftly to the incident, with spokesperson Kenneth Udo confirming that the matter was under investigation. In a statement issued on Monday, the NIS said:
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"The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) has launched a formal investigation following the circulation of a video on social media showing a female traveller destroying a Nigerian Standard Passport at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos.
"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 NIS reaffirmed its commitment to upholding the law and protecting the integrity of national documents.
While the husband's latest video has attempted to downplay the seriousness of the situation, it remains to be seen whether the authorities will pursue further action.
