The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has denounced the altercation between comedian Freedom Atsepoyi, also known as Mr. Jollof, and social media influencer Martins Otse, also known as Verydarkman, and threatened to punish both men for their behavior on a Monday flight from Asaba to Lagos.
In a post published on 𝕏, Michael Achimugu, the NCAA’s Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, called the altercation “unacceptable behavior” that put passengers, crew, and the aircraft in danger.
“Unruly behavior aboard an aircraft is not tolerated,” he stated. The entire force of the law will be applied to both parties.
The aviation authority was appalled that both individuals, who frequently give lectures to their millions of followers on responsible behavior, were involved in such a violation.
“When one considers both of them partners in educating their millions of followers to avoid unruly behavior, it is even more shameful,” he added.
He emphasized that the flight’s activities were against aviation safety regulations and added that the airline needed to report the event in order to pursue legal action.
Both men’s conduct endangered the crew’s and all other passengers’ safety. It also jeopardized the aircraft’s safety,” he continued.
The NCAA cautioned that violence on an aircraft is never justified by provocation or online disagreement.
“The NCAA has put a lot of effort and resources into educating passengers about the risks of unruly behavior and its consequences,” the NCAA states.
“In this instance, there is no justification that justifies the altercation, regardless of what caused it.”
According to reports, the two celebrities’ longstanding animosity on social media led to the altercation. Shortly after boarding, the altercation escalated into violence, necessitating the intervention of passengers and cabin personnel as mayhem erupted within the aircraft.
Verydarkman boasted about the encounter on Facebook after it happened, saying, “I don’t chop Jollof’s father for being inside the plane.” “Man wey de bite,” he said.
According to the NCAA spokesperson, the authorities were expecting formal information from the airline and crew members.
He reiterated that sanctions were unavoidable and promised to provide a thorough statement when all reports were examined.
