ABUJA, Nigeria – The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has opened an investigation into an inflight altercation involving social media personalities Martins Otse, known as VeryDarkman, and Freedom Atsepoyi, popularly called Mr Jollof.
The clash occurred aboard United Nigeria Airlines Flight UN0523 at Asaba International Airport.
NCAA spokesperson Michael Achimugu confirmed on Monday that the airline is yet to submit its official incident report, but aviation personnel in Asaba have been instructed to gather full details.
Responding to online comments questioning why strong sanctions were not immediately applied, Achimugu clarified that aviation protocol requires security officers to first deboard and interrogate disruptive passengers before further decisions.
“Both passengers were removed and taken in for questioning, which aligns with international aviation standards,” he said. He added that the authority would review how long it took security to intervene and whether crew actions were consistent with safety procedures.
Achimugu stressed that while the NCAA does not prosecute offenders, it can recommend blacklisting passengers if investigations reveal misconduct. Any criminal prosecution would be handled by the Attorney General of the Federation or the Inspector General of Police.
The altercation, which was filmed by other passengers, caused a temporary delay as cabin crew attempted to restore order. The NCAA says it will examine whether crew communication, pilot decision-making and ground security responses met global standards.
The incident has sparked widespread debate online, with many Nigerians calling for stricter penalties for unruly passengers to protect aviation safety and passenger rights.
Achimugu said the public would be briefed once the airline submits its full findings.
