A TikTok beauty content creator identified as Jola, with the username ugly_gal_jola, has issued a public apology to an elderly woman referred to as “grandma” after a viral video confessing that she assaulted the woman during a heated confrontation inside a commercial bus in Lagos.
The incident, which has continued to generate heated debate online, escalated from a disagreement over phone volume before degenerating into a physical altercation that involved both parties inside the bus.
Following her invitation by the police over the incident, Jola released an apology video on Monday addressing the elderly woman and the public.
“So hi guys, I am here to make an apology video for the video I posted days ago that went viral. I am so sorry, grandma. It was not my intention to beat grandma. All cases have been settled. I was called to the police station and they said the case is already settled. Grandma, I am so sorry. Thank you,” Jola said.
The apology, however, has not entirely calmed public reactions, as social media users remain sharply divided over the circumstances that led to the altercation and whether the response from Jola was justified.
The confrontation reportedly occurred inside a bus travelling from Ikotun to Igando when the elderly passenger complained that Jola’s phone volume was disturbing others in the vehicle.
According to Jola’s initial account shared in a viral video before her arrest, she maintained that she had already complied with the request to reduce the volume when tensions escalated further.
She explained, “I reduced the volume, but the woman kept complaining and started insulting me. I know she is a grandma, but she was insulting me and shouting on me in the bus.”
The situation reportedly turned physical when the elderly woman allegedly slapped her twice, an act that triggered a violent reaction from Jola.
In her own words from the earlier viral video, Jola admitted,”She slapped me again, and that was when I reacted. I know she is a grandma and people will say I shouldn’t have done it, but I was angry. I beat her very well. I used her as a scapegoat.”
The video, which was recorded by Jola during the altercation, showed passengers reacting in shock as the exchange escalated inside the bus.
Some eyewitness accounts also claimed the confrontation continued briefly after both parties alighted at their stop.
The elderly woman’s family reportedly came across the viral video, recognised Jola, and subsequently reported the matter to the police.
This led to her invitation to question the assault on an elderly citizen.
A video from the police station later surfaced online showing Jola in handcuffs, further intensifying public discussion around the incident.
While some social media users condemned Jola’s reaction as excessive regardless of provocation, others argued that she was physically assaulted first and merely reacted in self-defence.
The case has since sparked wider conversations online about discipline in public spaces, respect for elders, and the limits of self-defence in heated confrontations involving passengers in commercial transport.
As of press time, the matter has reportedly been settled after police intervention, although the controversy continues to trend across social media platforms.
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