United Nigeria Airlines has confirmed it has accepted the public apologies issued by social media personalities Martins Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan (VDM), and Freedom Atsepoyi, known as Mr. Jollof, following their confrontation during the boarding of Flight UN0523 from Asaba to Lagos on November 17, 2025.
The clash between both men occurred on Monday morning at Asaba International Airport and quickly went viral after a video of the scuffle surfaced online. The incident caused delays to the United Nigeria Airlines service.
Otse later released a video on Instagram, admitting fault and stating he took “full responsibility” for the disruption. He acknowledged that passengers were inconvenienced, noting that some might have missed urgent appointments. “I really want to apologise,” he said.
Atsepoyi also issued a separate video apology addressed to the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), the airline, and affected passengers. He claimed he acted in self-defence but expressed regret for any delays caused. “This isn’t my kind of person. It will never happen again,” he said.
In a statement on Thursday, United Nigeria Airlines said it had taken note of both apologies and their pledges to avoid conduct that could compromise safety or order on future flights. The airline added that it expected the pair to honour that commitment in the interest of maintaining a respectful travel environment.
The statement also commended the NCAA, airport security officials, the Asaba Airport Authority, and the airline’s crew for their swift and professional handling of the situation.
United Nigeria Airlines reiterated its alignment with the Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON) and regulators in tackling unruly passenger behaviour and urged travellers to continue cooperating with aviation authorities to uphold safety standards.
