Despite the public apologies issued by Nigerian comedian Freedom Atsepoyi (popularly known as Mr. Jollof) and social media commentator Martins Otse (widely known as VeryDarkMan), United Nigeria Airlines has confirmed that its internal investigation into the altercation involving the two men remains ongoing.
Both individuals released separate video statements recounting their respective accounts of the incident and apologizing to United Nigeria Airlines and the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), acknowledging that their conduct caused delays and inconvenience to passengers.
As previously reported by PUNCH Online, the confrontation, which occurred aboard a United Nigeria Airlines aircraft and disrupted scheduled operations, may result in criminal proceedings against the parties involved.
In his statement posted via Instagram on Tuesday, Mr. Jollof explained the circumstances that precipitated the dispute, asserting that he is not a violent individual and that his actions were taken in self-defence. He extended apologies to affected passengers, the airline, and the NCAA.
He stated, “I wish to sincerely apologize to the NCAA, United Nigeria Airlines, and the passengers. I acted only to defend myself. You all saw what happened. I am deeply sorry if the incident disrupted your appointments. Please forgive me. This is not characteristic of me, and it will never happen again.”
While Mr. Jollof expressly undertook that he would not be involved in such conduct in the future, VeryDarkMan offered a more limited commitment, conceding that although he could not guarantee such incidents would never recur, he could assure the public that no such behavior would take place aboard an aircraft or in any public setting that could impede others from reaching their destinations.
In his apology, VeryDarkMan stated, “What happened yesterday ought not to have occurred, and I take full responsibility. Many passengers had important engagements, and the delay caused by my actions may have affected medical emergencies, business dealings, and other commitments. I sincerely apologize to everyone affected, including the airline staff and particularly the elderly woman who urged me to sit down. Regardless of how social media perceived the incident, I behaved irresponsibly.”
He added that he regretted disappointing those who look up to him and reiterated his apology for his conduct.
Meanwhile, when contacted by The PUNCH, the airline’s spokesperson, Chibuike Uloka, confirmed that notwithstanding the public apologies, the airline had not reached any conclusions regarding the incident.
Responding to inquiries on whether the apologies had influenced the airline’s position, Uloka stated simply: “Investigations are still ongoing.”#newsafro_
