The federal government on Monday said it had commenced an investigation into a physical fight onboard a commercial flight between social media influencer, Martins Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan (VDM), and comedian Freedom Atsepoyi, also called Mr Jollof.
A viral video on Monday captured the duo trading blows inside a United Nigeria Airlines flight travelling from Asaba, the capital of Delta State to Lagos State, a development that caused disruption of the flight as other passengers struggled to separate them.
However, the two culprits were later offloaded and handed over to airport security for further interrogation, THISDAY learnt.
Speaking on the incident, the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) said it will pursue sanctions against the duo over the violent physical altercation on the plane, stressing that the government was waiting for legal advice and appropriate action/advice.
The NCAA’s Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, Michael Achimugu, who made this known via a post on X, formerly Twitter said such “unruly behaviour” aboard an aircraft would not be tolerated.
Achimugu stated: “The airline should report the incident to the NCAA, and my department would forward to legal advice and appropriate action/advice. There is no tolerance for unruly behaviour aboard an aircraft. Both individuals will face the full strength of the law. It is even more shameful when one considers both of them partners in educating their millions of followers to avoid unruly behaviour.
“While waiting for information (I have reached out to our staff for details now that I am on ground), one wonders if the pilot had both passengers deplaned or if they were flown to destination. If it was the latter, there would be consequences.
“The actions of both men put the safety of all other passengers and the crew at risk. It also put the safety of the aircraft at risk. The NCAA has exerted a lot of energy and resources in educating passengers about the dangers of unruly behaviour and its consequences. In this case, no matter what led to the fracas, there is no excuse that makes it acceptable.”
The NCAA spokesman, in another post on X, said he had confirmed that VeryDarkMan and Mr Jollof were ‘deboarded’ over the physical fight. “They were deboarded. I have confirmed this,” he wrote.
Meanwhile, domestic carrier, United Nigeria Airlines has announced that it threw out the media influencers for fighting during the boarding process at the Asaba Airport on their way to Lagos.
The airline in a statement said the two disrupted boarding proceedings when they engaged in a fight. United Nigeria Airlines said the incident took place on Monday morning.
The airline explained that an altercation occurred between the two passengers who discountenanced all entreaties and engaged in physical combat.
“In full compliance with global aviation safety protocols, our crew responded immediately and professionally to de-escalate the situation. Both passengers were deboarded without delay to ensure the safety, comfort, and security of all other passengers and crew members. They were subsequently handed over to airport security for further investigation,” Chibuike Uloka, Public Relations Officer of the airline said.
United Nigeria Airlines said it places the highest priority on safety and maintains a zero-tolerance policy for any conduct that threatens the security or wellbeing of passengers or crew.
“After all standard procedures were completed, the flight departed safely while the passengers involved in the altercation were still with the authorities. We remain firmly committed to providing a safe, respectful, and secure travel experience across our network,” Uloka said.
Emmanuel Addeh and Chinedu Eze
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