She said her former boss – Overland Airways General Manager, Mrs. Aderonke Emmanuel James – accused her of cyberstalking and cyberbullying and demanded N20 million in damages, in her petition sent to the Lagos State Police Command.
A former employee of Overland Airways, an airline based in Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Ikeja, Lagos, Ms. Olubukola Oni, has raised the alarm over alleged intimidation and harassment by her former boss.
She said her former boss – Overland Airways General Manager, Mrs. Aderonke Emmanuel James – accused her of cyberstalking and cyberbullying and demanded N20 million in damages, in her petition sent to the Lagos State Police Command.
Ms. Oni told SaharaReporters that she was compelled to tender her resignation letter to Overland Airways on February 15, 2024, due to the alleged constant unfair treatment and verbal abuses she experienced at the hands of James, whom she referred to as Mrs. Oshoronke.
Ms. Oni said she worked for Overland Airways as a Quality Officer for two years and two months (26 months) and “I have always been committed to delivering quality work and meeting deadlines”.
“However, I have been feeling demoralized and frustrated by the constant pressure and harassment from Oshoronke who seems to have a personal vendetta against me,” she added.
In her resignation letter, she said some of the issues she faced included “being micromanaged and criticized for every minor mistake".
She said, “When Mr. Ife was the head of LABs, there was everything wrong with LABs, but now LABs must definitely be the most productive part of the company or deviation from the GM's non-technical preferences (she even argued with the QM on what serviceable and unserviceable aircraft means). God have mercy.
“Constant lies, baseless accusations just to show I don't belong here and reminder of how I came into the company.
“Being subjected to verbal abuse, threats, intentional delayed promotion (there exists proof of a changed date) and intimidation from Oshoronke who uses her power to bully and humiliate me at every constant opportunity.
“It is obvious you are the voice behind AE's constant bashing since the last 3 weeks madam. Madam, there's a vacancy in quality now, kindly apply within.
“These problems have negatively affected the peacefulness of my work environment, morale, and well-being.
“I have tried to address these issues directly, but they have either dismissed my concerns, blamed me for the problems, or retaliated against me by giving me worse treatment.
“I have also sought advice from elders in/outside the department, which I have tried different advice all to no avail.
“It has become untenable for me to continue working under such circumstances.”
Ms. Oni said she resigned because she “could not take it anymore as it was already affecting my mental health”.
“I begged publicly and I begged privately. Everything I did was not just right. Constant lies and verbal abuses,” she said.
She said she called out Mrs. James on WhatsApp “for all her wickedness,” and on Thursday, she got a message from Mrs. James’ lawyer who identified himself as Godwin Etim, informing her of the petition against her and asked her to pay the sum of N20 million.
“Good morning, Olubukola Oni. My name is and I am a lawyer to Mrs. Ronke James whom you have been trolling and abusing on your WhatsApp status under your moniker, Bukky RMD.
“We have sent a petition to the State CID, Panti complaining of your resort to cyber stalking and bullying of Mrs. James contrary to the Nigerian Cybercrime Act 2015.
“We have also attempted to serve you with a Memorandum of Claims at your stated address at No.113, Abanise Street, Cele-Egbe, Ikotun, Lagos but were informed that you have moved out of that premises.
“Be that as it may, the law allows us to paste court processes at your last known address and we shall fully take advantage of that provision at the end of 7 days from today.
“Please find below, the said Memorandum of Claims to which is attached, the petition to State CID, Panti,” the lawyer, Etim said in a message sent to Oni on Thursday.
Mrs. James’ lawyer in the petition claimed that she (Mrs. James) did not have any direct day-to-day contact with Ms. Oni and was not her line manager.
Etim claimed in the petition that “due to several complaints about the quality of her (Ms. Oni) work and her productivity generally, Ms. Oni voluntarily resigned from Overland Airways on 15 February 2024.
“In her resignation email, Ms. Oni named our client as the principal reason for her resignation, and derogatorily corrupted our client's first name, Aderonke, as ‘Oshoronke’.
“Since Ms. Oni left Overland Airways, however, she has constantly and continuously harassed and bullied our client by several posts on her WhatsApp status.
“The first post she sent on 16 February 2024 was to put up a write-up with a statement, ‘Oshoronke turned me into a moving corpse.’
“Mrs. Oni has made several other posts subsequently, wherein she used our client's photograph without any permission, authority or consent from our client, and variously posted derogatory terms in describing our client.
“Such include calling our client "Olodo of Africa," "Oshobaby weerey," "shamelesshousewife," "no peace for the wicked," "you gave birth to the devil himself" and so on. These posts were as recent as Thursday, 22 February.
“There is even a post where Ms. Oni taunted our client to ‘Sue Sue Sue.’ Despite being the subject of such wanton derogatory abuse which has affected her psyche, and which has necessitated a complaint against Ms. Oni (even though an ex-staff) to the management of Overland Airways, our client has exercised a lot of restraint in joining Ms. Oni on her professed road.
“This is why our client has decided to address this petition to your good office for your urgent intervention pursuant to the Cybercrime Act 2015 (hereafter called "the Act").”
In a memorandum of claim and option for settlement sent to Ms. Oni, Mrs. James through her lawyer asked Ms. Oni to “cease and desist forthwith from any further publication, posts and onto settings to activate Windows. circulation of libelous matter against our client using your WhatsApp moniker, ‘Bukky RMD.’
“Restitute our client in damages in the sum of N20,000,000 (Twenty Million Naira) for the libelous posts published against her (including using her photograph illegally without her consent on these posts) on your WhatsApp status using your moniker, ‘Bukky RMD.’
“Publish a letter of apology to our client on the same WhatsApp status page wherein you have repeatedly defamed and insulted her, as well as in one national newspaper.
“Please note that the above demands constitute our client's options for the settlement of this dispute.
“Take further notice however that if you fail, refuse, omit or otherwise neglect to comply with the said demands within the specified time-frame, we shall have no other option than to institute an action for defamation against you and seek appropriate reliefs for our client as outlined in the demands stated above, and this shall be without any further notice from us.
“You are hereby put on notice. Kindly note that this Memorandum and the options proposed are forwarded in strict compliance with the High Court of Lagos State (Expeditious Disposal of Civil Cases) Practice Direction No. 2 of 2019.”
When SaharaReporters contacted Mrs. James’ lawyer, Etim for comments on Ms Oni’s allegations and Mrs. James' petition being seen as harassment and intimidation of Mrs Oni over her WhatsApp posts, the lawyer said he had no comment.
He said, “I have no comments as the matter is presently the subject of litigation.”