THIS is the jaw-dropping moment a brawl erupted between two social media stars while boarding a flight in Nigeria.
The chaos unfolded on a United Nigeria Airlines flight between social media bigshots Matins Otse, known as Very Dark Man (VDM), and comedian Freedom Atsepoyi, also known as Mr Jollof.
Footage shows the pair turn the Airbus A320 aisle into a boxing ring as holidaymakers scramble and the crew try to break the fight up.
Airline spokesman Chibuike Uloka said the influencers locked horns during boarding at Asaba International Airport on Monday.
Uloka said: “In full compliance with global aviation safety protocols, our crew responded immediately and professionally to de-escalate the situation.
“Both passengers were de-boarded without delay to ensure the safety, comfort, and security of all other passengers and crew members.”
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The sparring duo were taken into custody while the flight resumed normal service, departing Asaba at 9.47am and arriving in Lagos at 10.33am.
No one knows what sparked the scrap between VDM and Mr Jollof, but the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) said it will investigate the incident.
Mr Jollof addressed the brawl in a post to his one million Instagram followers yesterday, offering a public apology to the NCAA, United Nigeria Airlines and fellow passengers.
He was also keen to stress that the incident was out of character for him, and that he only started swinging in self-defence.
He said: “I am very sorry if I delayed [my fellow passengers’] appointments. Pardon me.
“This isn’t my kind of person. It will never happen again.
“To my lovely wife, I know you’re proud of me. To my kids, I am sorry, Daddy will never do this again.”
Earlier this year, Nigerian music star KWAM1 was briefly banned from flying over alleged misconduct – only to later be made an aviation ambassador.
Another Nigerian airline passenger punched a flight attendant after being told to “turn off her phone” in August.
The aggressive outburst resulted in the woman being hauled off onto an airport bus by a group of staff.
The chaos erupted on a domestic flight from the city of Lagos, Nigeria, to the town of Uyo, around 400 miles away.
A woman was asked by Ibom Air cabin crew to turn off her phone as the plane was heading towards the runway.
But she is said to have ignored the request, refusing and insisting she would switch her phone to flight mode instead.
When things became more heated, the pilot turned the aircraft back to the terminal at Lagos’s Murtala Muhammed International Airport.
The woman was forced to get out of her seat and brought to the front of the plane, where she hit a flight attendant standing in the doorway.
In the shocking video, the staff member can be heard saying: “She is hitting me. She is f***ing hitting me.”
Staff had to lift her onto the airport bus, where she continued to struggle.
Ibom Air has imposed a lifetime ban on the passenger, according to local outlet Business Day.
