Victor EzejaMinister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo has ordered the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) to place a popular Fuji musician, Wasiu Ayinde, also known as K1 de Ultimate on a ‘No-fly’ list pending the conclusion of investigations into what happened at the domestic terminal of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, involving Valuejet.
The minister made this known while reacting to the alleged misconduct of the popular Fuji musician on Tuesday, 5 August.
Join our WhatsApp ChannelIn a statement via his X handle on Thursday, Keyamo said he had reviewed reports and video footage of the incident and made a preliminary conclusion that both the musician and the aircraft crew violated standard safety protocol as prescribed by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO).
He condemned attempts by the musician to block the aircraft from taxiing to take position on the runway for take-off, saying that it is an unacceptable behaviour and amounts to a hostage situation.
“This is TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE behaviour. The issue of whether he was carrying water or alcohol is not even in issue at this point. It is the physical blockage of the aircraft from taxiing that is the reprehensible conduct here, which is akin to a hostage situation,” Keyamo stated.
On the other hand, the minister, however, stated that the Pilots shouldn’t have moved the aircraft without ensuring that the unruly passenger standing in front of the aircraft was moved away to avoid casualties.
“Both sides breached standard safety protocol as required by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO),” the minister declared.
In a statement released on Wednesday, 6 August, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) said its preliminary investigation revealed that the passenger who was scheduled to board a morning flight operated by Valuejet airlines from Abuja to Lagos on Tuesday, attempted to carry a liquid substance later identified to be alcohol, despite warnings from Aviation Security personnel and Flight Captain.
FAAN said that in accordance with international aviation security standards, liquids exceeding 100ml are not permitted to pass through security screening unless medically necessary and must be properly declared.
According to FAAN, the passenger insisted on boarding the flight with the alcoholic substance and was asked to step aside.
“As boarding continued, an airline security officer asked the passenger to step aside for further clarification. The passenger allegedly refused and spilled the contents of the flask on the officer, which turned out to be alcohol. The Flight Captain intervened but faced similar resistance. After confirming that boarding was complete, she instructed the closure of the aircraft door.
“At this juncture, the passenger moved to the front of the aircraft and refused to leave the area despite repeated requests. He was ultimately escorted away by the AVSEC crime unit for further investigation, after which he was released,” FAAN explained.
Meanwhile, the NCAA has suspended the licences of the pilot, Captain Oluranti Ogoyi, and the co-pilot, First Officer Ivan Oloba.
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The civil aviation regulator said the action of the pilot endangered the “safety of ground personnel and other airport users, contravening established civil aviation regulations and international safety standards.”
It said the suspension, which takes immediate effect, will be in place pending the conclusion of a full investigation into the incident.
While noting the suspension slammed on the pilots, and commending NCCA for its “proactive action”, Keyamo, however, questioned the agency’s sense of justice by acting against only one party (the pilots) and not on both sides. “What applies to the goose must also to the gander. That is one of the tenets of Justice I have preached all my life. I will not sit idly by and allow this to pass,” the minister stated.
“In the circumstance, I have also directed the NCAA to place Kwam 1 on a No-fly list pending further and full investigation, just like the captain and pilot. all airlines, both domestic and international, should immediately be informed of this directive and anyone who flouts this directive risk withdrawal of their operating licence,” he added.
In a media briefing on Thursday, the Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection at the NCAA, Michael Achimugu, said the musician has been blacklisted from flying within Nigeria for six months.
Achimugu assured that the agency would take all necessary measures to get to the root of the matter and ensure that justice is served.
Victor Ezeja is a passionate journalist with seven years of experience writing on economy, politics and energy. He holds a Master's degree in Mass Communication.
