Two of Nigeria's most prominent social media personalities, Martins Otse (known as VeryDarkMan or VDM) and comedian Freedom Okpetoritse Atsepoyi (popularly called Mr Jollof), found themselves at the center of a major aviation incident that has captured national attention.
Mid-Boarding Altercation Turns Violent
What was supposed to be a routine United Nigeria Airlines flight from Asaba to Lagos on Monday, November 17, 2025, quickly descended into chaos as the two influencers engaged in a physical confrontation during the boarding process. Witnesses reported seeing the social media stars trading blows while passengers looked on in shock and disbelief.
The airline crew acted swiftly to contain the situation, immediately de-boarding both individuals and handing them over to airport security authorities. The incident caused significant delays for other passengers who had important engagements to attend to in Lagos.
Public Apologies and Regret
In the aftermath of the embarrassing incident, both influencers took to social media to issue public apologies. Mr Jollof was the first to release a video statement expressing his remorse for the incident.
"I was only defending myself," the comedian explained in his apology, while acknowledging the inconvenience caused to fellow passengers. He made specific promises to his family and employer, stating: "To my lovely wife... I know you're proud of me... To my kids, I am sorry; Daddy will never do this again... To my boss... this isn't my kind of person."
VDM followed with his own heartfelt apology, taking full responsibility for his actions and demonstrating awareness of the potential consequences faced by other travelers. He expressed particular concern for passengers who might have had medical emergencies or important business contracts that were affected by the delay.
"A lot of people on that flight had important things to do, but because of that little irresponsibility from my end, their flight was delayed," VDM stated. "Some people might have had medical emergencies, and some had business contracts to sign. I don't know what that little delay would have cost them, and I really want to apologise."
Airline Response and Potential Consequences
United Nigeria Airlines has officially accepted both apologies while emphasizing their commitment to maintaining safety standards. The airline released a statement reaffirming their zero-tolerance policy toward behavior that jeopardizes aviation security.
However, the matter may not end with the accepted apologies. The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) is considering punitive measures that could include possible jail terms or no-fly sanctions against the influencers.
This incident marks another chapter in Nigeria's ongoing challenges with celebrity behavior aboard flights. It follows similar incidents involving other high-profile individuals, including Comfort Emmanson's refusal to turn off her phone on an Ibom Air flight and Fuji singer KWAM 1's controversial stunt of standing in front of a taxiing plane after being denied boarding.
The aviation authorities appear to be taking a stronger stance against such behavior, signaling that celebrity status will not exempt individuals from facing consequences for actions that compromise flight safety and inconvenience other passengers.
