The National Orientation Agency (NOA) has strongly condemned the actions of one Mrs. Favour Igiebor who tore her husband’s international passport at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport in Lagos.
Director-General of the NOA, Mallam Lanre Issa Onilu, described the act as a serious violation of the laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
Onilu, in a statement issued to journalists on Monday in Abuja, emphasised that the agency, as part of its national identity project campaign, particularly concerning national symbols, will support the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) in its investigation and possible prosecution of Mrs. Igiebor under Section 10(B) of the Immigration Act, 2015.
He noted that this should serve as a deterrent to others who might consider damaging such an important national symbol as the international passport.
“The international passport, issued by the Nigerian Immigration Service, is the property of the Federal Government. No individual who has the privilege of possessing one should abuse or damage it under any circumstance. What this lady has done is a grievous assault on our collective asset and a blemish on the symbol of our national identity,” he said.
Onilu further appealed to citizens to continue showing respect for national symbols as a demonstration of patriotic commitment to national development.
He reiterated that the NOA, as the custodian of these symbols, will persist in promoting their use and integrity.
He stressed that this incident underscores the need for increased public enlightenment and awareness campaigns about the importance of national symbols in Nigeria.
The NOA boss further described the international passport as one of the core national symbols enshrined in the nation’s ordinances as a patriotic icon representing the country’s identity among the community of nations.
