The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has announced that social media influencers Martins Vincent Otse, popularly known as Verydarkman, and comedian Freedom Atsepoyi, known as Mr Jollof, will face sanctions following a physical altercation aboard an Asaba-Lagos flight of United Nigeria Airlines on Monday.
In a post shared on X, the Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection at NCAA, Michael Achimugu, described the incident as “unacceptable behaviour” and warned of the danger it posed to passengers and crew.
“There is no tolerance for unruly behaviour aboard an aircraft. Both individuals will face the full strength of the law,” the spokesperson tweeted.
He added, “It is even more shameful when one considers both of them are partners in educating their millions of followers to avoid unruly behaviour.”
Achimugu emphasised that the airline should report the incident to NCAA so that legal action can follow. “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,” he said.
He also stressed the regulator’s commitment to passenger education, noting, “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 fight reportedly stemmed from an ongoing online feud between the two men, which escalated into a physical confrontation inside the aircraft cabin. Passengers and crew intervened as chaos erupted.
VDM later posted a video on his Facebook page claiming he had confronted Mr Jollof during the altercation, writing: “I don chop Jollof father for inside the plane. He bite me, man wey de bite.”
The NCAA spokesperson said he was still awaiting details from the airline and crew but assured that a full statement would follow once the information was verified.
