The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has requested a detailed account of an in-flight confrontation involving popular social media personalities, Martins Otse, known as VeryDarkman, and Freedom Atsepoyi, widely called Mr Jollof.
The incident occurred onboard United Nigeria Airlines Flight UN0523 at Asaba International Airport in Delta State.
In a statement shared on X (formerly Twitter), NCAA spokesperson Michael Achimugu confirmed that the airline had not yet submitted an official incident report but said aviation officers in Asaba had been directed to investigate all actions taken during and after the altercation.
Achimugu was responding to an online post suggesting both men benefited from a weak regulatory system, noting that similar behaviour in the UK could lead to imprisonment and placement on a no-fly list.
According to Achimugu, both individuals were removed from the aircraft and taken to an interrogation room for questioning, a standard procedure for cases involving unruly passengers.
“As soon as I landed at my transit airport, I made calls and confirmed that both passengers were deplaned and taken for interrogation,” he said.
He added that United Nigeria Airlines’ management was still holding internal meetings regarding the incident, which he described as “normal practice, even abroad.”
The aviation regulator said its inquiry would extend beyond the two passengers, examining how quickly security personnel responded, actions taken by the flight crew, and whether proper safety procedures were followed.
“We want to know how long it took security to arrive and how long the incident lasted before the pilot called for assistance, if he did,” Achimugu stated.
He also asked whether the passengers were detained, released, or handed over to other security agencies and for what reasons.
While the NCAA lacks the authority to prosecute offenders, Achimugu said the agency could recommend sanctions, including blacklisting.
“The NCAA will advise the airline to place the passengers on a no-fly list and write to the Attorney-General of the Federation and the Inspector-General of Police to prosecute them,” he said.