A routine United Nigeria Airlines flight from Asaba to Lagos turned into a viral spectacle on Monday, 17 November 2025. Passengers watched in shock as social media stars Martins Otse, publicly known as VeryDarkMan (VDM), and Comedian Freedom Okpetoritse Atsepoyi, also known as Mr Jollof, traded blows mid-boarding.
What began as simmering online tension exploded into a full‑blown scuffle during boarding. After departure, the big men reflected on their embarrassing actions and made a public apology that was accepted by United Nigeria Airlines.
How They Apologised
As VDM and Mr Jollof fought, the crew intervened swiftly, de‑boarding both men and turning them over to airport security. In the aftermath, Mr Jollof released a public video apology.
He said he was “only defending myself”, expressed regret for any delay caused to fellow passengers, and promised, “It will never happen again.” He also apologised to his family and employer:
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 apology, admitting he “acted irresponsibly” and took “full responsibility” for the fight. He acknowledged that many passengers on the flight had important engagements, saying:
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. 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.
He also apologised explicitly to the pilot and crew, calling the entire incident avoidable and vowing it won’t happen again in a public or shared space.
United Nigeria Airlines has accepted both apologies and highlighted its commitment to preventing behaviour that jeopardises aviation safety. Meanwhile, the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) is considering punitive action, including possible jail terms or a no-fly sanction.
Read Next: KWAM 2: FG withdraws complaint against Ibom Air passenger
Star Power vs Public Safety
If you’ve been online long enough, you’d see a pattern. The brawl between VeryDarkMan (VDM) and Mr Jollof aboard a United Nigeria Airlines flight feels eerily familiar. Earlier this year, another passenger, Comfort Emmanson, on an Ibom Air flight refused to turn off her phone, sparking a violent confrontation.
Way before Ibom Air’s saga, there was the celebrated Fuji singer KWAM 1, who made headlines for standing in front of a taxiing plane after being denied boarding—a stunt that raised serious safety concerns.
Now, Emmanson allegedly refused repeated instructions to turn off her phone. Her excuse was that her phone’s power button was faulty. She was met with a surprisingly harsh rebuke, according to a lawyer who witnessed the incident.
Then there was KWAM 1, who blocked a plane from taking off when grounded over a security dispute. And while authorities pointed to potential legal fallout, reactions were mixed, drawing attention to how celebrity behaviour is handled in aviation.
Read Next: Nigerians demand equal punishment for Ibom Air passenger and KWAM 1
