Social media influencers Martins Otse a.k.a. VeryDarkMan (VDM) and Freedom Atsepoyi a.k.a. Mr Jollof may face prosecution and possible jail terms over their fight onboard United Nigeria Airlines’ (UNA) Flight UN0523 at Asaba International Airport, Delta State.
According to Mr. Michael Achimugu, Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection at Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), the NCAA would recommend that the Attorney General of the Federation and the Inspector General of Police prosecute the passengers. At the same time, the Airline Operators of Nigeria, AON, would be advised to place them on a temporary no-fly list.
”The airline is sending a report to the NCAA today. When that report comes in, the relevant department will make the necessary decisions. I have spoken with the Director of Legal Services at the NCAA, and I have advised that they write to the Attorney General of the Federation and the Inspector General of Police to prosecute the passengers.
“We will furnish them with the details of the case to aid their prosecution. We will advise the Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON) to blacklist those passengers as a deterrent. If the case is prosecuted, they could face jail terms and be fined. The laws are clear,” Achimugu was reported by Vanguard as saying.
A viral video showing both passengers in a fight onboard UNA’s aircraft went viral online on Monday, November 17.
VDM and Mr Jollof were seen in the viral video exchanging blows, leaving everyone on board shocked.
UNA’s Public Relations Officer, Mr Chibuike Uloka, confirmed that there was an altercation between VDM and Mr Jollof, saying they had been handed over to airport security.
VDM explained the fight in a video he shared, saying it grew out of weeks of online back-and-forth with Mr Jollof. Seeing him in person on the plane, he told Mr Jollof, “Today, you will slap me,” referring to the tension from their online interactions.
Both have since apologised for their actions.
