A Nigerian man at the center of a viral video controversy has come forward to claim that the incident involving his wife allegedly tearing his passport was merely a staged skit.
The revelation comes after days of public outcry and official investigation into what appeared to be a serious breach of immigration law.
The incident, which unfolded at Lagos’ Murtala Muhammed International Airport, initially shocked viewers as it showed a woman, identified as Favour Igiebor, seemingly destroying her husband’s passport in a fit of rage. The video quickly spread across social media platforms, drawing widespread condemnation and prompting the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) to launch an investigation.
However, in a surprising turn of events, Mr. Igiebor released a video statement on Wednesday through the family’s YouTube channel, Jejoja FamilyTV, pleading with the public to stop spreading what he now claims is 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,” Mr. Igiebor stated.
He added, “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.”
Mr. Igiebor explained that the video was based on someone else’s story, which they were acting out to share with their audience.
He expressed surprise at how far the story had been taken by media outlets and social media influencers.
He said, “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.”
The husband also addressed concerns about potential legal repercussions, stating that the NIS had already inspected his passport and confirmed its integrity.
“The Immigration has seen my passport and confirmed that it is intact. No one should try to drag this issue to the world,” he affirmed.
Mr. Igiebor added, “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.”
The original video, which sparked the controversy, showed torn pieces of what appeared to be a passport on the floor of the airport. Mrs. Igiebor was heard saying, “I tore it,” and threatening her husband with the words, “You will stay here in Nigeria; this is where you’ll remain.” The husband appeared visibly confused and speechless in the footage.
In a subsequent video, Mrs. Igiebor had defended her actions, suggesting that they were the result of long-standing family issues.
She 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.”
The NIS had taken the incident seriously, with spokesperson Kenneth Udo confirming an ongoing investigation. In a statement issued on Monday, the NIS said:
“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.”
The statement also noted that if the allegations were substantiated, the 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.
.
