Naira Marley, a controversial Nigerian singer, has hit back at Executive Jets Services Limited, an aviation company, for branding him and other members of his team “a bunch of useless people”.
The airline has come under intense criticism for flying the singer to Abuja for a recent event, despite the increase in COVID-19 cases in the country.
Due to the backlash that trailed the event on social media, the federal capital territory administration (FCTA) had sealed off the Jabi Lake mall, which hosted the singer, for violating restrictions to prevent the spread of the novel disease.
But in an apology addressed to Hadi Sirika, minister for aviation, on Monday, Sam Iwu, the company’s chief executive officer, described the incident as a mix-up.
The company’s chairman, in a statement, also claimed his team thought it was Babatunde Fashola, minister of works and housing, that wanted to use the flight not knowing that “it was a bunch of useless people”.
Reacting to the statement in a post on his Twitter page, the controversial singer, born Azeez Fashola, tackled the aviation company for calling him and his team of “20,000 Marlians” a bunch of “useless people”.
The ‘Soapy’ crooner went on to vow that he would not be using the services of the company anymore, adding that they nearly had a crash while aboard the flight.
“Do you know that over 20,000 Marlians travel with Executive Jet a month. We won’t be using your useless airline again for calling us useless,” he wrote on Twitter.
“Thank God we didn’t crash on that flight sha because we nearly did. BTW We didn’t book the flight ourselves.”
He went on to provide insight into what transpired during the flight.
“Lol they asked for our names on the jet though and lol your pilot is a Marlian and everybody there is a Marlian too. My name is Azeez Adeshina Fashola and my little brother’s name is Moshood Babatunde Fashola and you were begging me to tag you all,” he added
In April, Naira Marley was detained alongside Funke Akindele, a Nollywood actress, after the latter hosted a house party that the former attended, despite Lagos’ lockdown measures at the time.
But all charges against him were later withdrawn after his statement of apology to Babajide Sanwo-Olu, Lagos governor, where he promised to abide by all government measures thereafter.