The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has called for a comprehensive account of the onboard altercation involving social media personalities Martins Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan, and Freedom Atsepoyi, widely known as Mr Jollof. The incident occurred aboard United Nigeria Airlines Flight UN0523 at the Asaba International Airport, Delta State.
NCAA spokesperson, Michael Achimugu, stated on X (formerly Twitter) that although the airline has yet to file an official incident report, aviation officers have been directed to investigate the actions taken by airport security, the flight crew, and other personnel during and after the disturbance.
Achimugu was responding to an online post suggesting that the pair benefited from a weak system, claiming they would have faced severe penalties, including imprisonment and a no-fly list, under UK regulations.
He explained that standard aviation procedure requires security operatives to deboard and apprehend unruly passengers before taking them in for questioning to determine if prosecution is necessary. While prosecution is not immediate, airlines can decide to place offenders on a no-fly list following internal deliberations.
According to Achimugu, both men were deplaned and taken to the airport interrogation room shortly after the incident. He noted that the airline’s delay in submitting an incident report is not unusual, as management meetings and internal reviews typically precede such filings.
He emphasized that the NCAA is actively reviewing the situation. Officers in Asaba have been instructed to document the timeline of events—including how quickly security responded, the pilot’s role, and the decisions taken after the confrontation.
Achimugu clarified that while the NCAA cannot prosecute offenders, it can recommend that the airline blacklist the passengers and notify the Attorney General of the Federation and the Inspector-General of Police to initiate legal action where necessary.
