Comedian Freedom Atsepoyi, widely known as Mr Jollof, publicly apologised after a physical fight with social media critic VeryDarkMan aboard a United Nigeria Airlines flight.
The clash, which happened on a flight from Asaba to Lagos, caused a delay and forced the airline to intervene.
In a video posted on Instagram, Mr Jollof said he deeply regretted the incident. He explained that he was not a violent person and had only acted in self-defence. He apologised to the airline, the passengers, and his family.
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“I want to use this medium to sincerely apologise to the NCAA, United Nigeria Airlines, and the passengers that boarded the airline,” he said. “I was only defending myself. You guys saw what happened, and I am very sorry if I delayed your appointment. Pardon me. This isn’t my kind of person. It will never happen again.”
He then addressed his family and those close to him. “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, I am very sorry, this isn’t my kind of person.”
He added a written note under the video: “PLEASE NOTE: I AM NOT A VIOLENT PERSON AND I PROMISE SUCH CHARACTER WILL NEVER OCCUR AGAIN. ALTHOUGH I WAS UNDER ATTACK, I DEFENDED MYSELF. PROMISE MADE, PROMISE KEPT.”
A video recorded by passengers captured the moment the fight broke out. Both men exchanged blows in their seats as other passengers shouted for calm.
At one point, VeryDarkMan showed bite marks on his chest and boasted that he had “dealt with” Mr Jollof during the altercation.
Shortly after Mr Jollof issued his apology, VeryDarkMan released his own statement in a video posted on his Instagram page. He admitted responsibility and said the fight should never have happened.
“Good morning, everybody. Good morning, Nigerians,” he began. “First of all, I would really like to apologize for what happened yesterday on the United Nigeria Airline. What happened yesterday was not supposed to happen, and I’ll take full responsibility for it.”
He noted that many passengers were on tight schedules and may have missed important appointments because of the delay. “Some people on that flight might have had medical emergencies. Some people had business contracts to sign. I don’t know what that little delay would have cost them, and I really want to apologize,” he said.
Although he made a brief joke in his video to lighten the mood, he quickly admitted that the situation was not funny and should not have occurred in the first place.
He said he acted irresponsibly and apologised to everyone who felt disappointed.
He also addressed a woman on the flight who repeatedly asked him to sit down during the fight. “Looking back at what happened yesterday, I really didn’t like that part,” he said. “I saw the faces of a lot of people. Even though some people saw everything as cruise on social media, I acted really irresponsible.”
In a more candid admission, he said he could not guarantee that he would never fight again. However, he promised that such behaviour would never happen on a plane, bus, or any public place where it could disrupt people’s movement or safety.
“I am really, really sorry,” he said. “I apologize to the passengers of United Nigeria Airlines yesterday. It was totally irresponsible from my end. I will make sure it will not happen in a public place again. Thank you very much. Peace and love.”
The airline has not yet issued a formal statement on the incident, but passengers confirmed that the altercation caused a delay before takeoff.
The incident sparked wide reactions on social media, with many Nigerians calling for tighter enforcement of in-flight conduct rules.
