*Captain, Pilot Sanctioned For Protocol Breach
*Musician Claims Victim
THE Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) is to blacklist popular Fuji musician, Wasiu Ayinde Marshal (KWAM1) from flying in Nigeria, following his airport drama with officials of ValueJet airline at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.
NCAA’s Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, Michael Achimugu, said during a press briefing on Thursday, August 7: “What I must assure the general public is that everybody involved in this will be brought to book.
“As we speak, the passenger is going to be blacklisted for the next six months flying in Nigeria. Aviation rules are made for everybody, for the protection of everybody. These rules are global. There is nothing about the rules that is to antagonise any passenger.
“So, we will do everything we can to get to the root of it. Everybody who needs to be punished or sanctioned will receive justice.”
He said the NCAA has written to the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and Inspector General of Police (IGP) to initiate legal proceedings against the musician.
When asked if KWAM 1 would be prosecuted, given his closeness to President Bola Tinubu and the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, the NCAA spokesman said the organisation was committed to the rule of law and no individual, regardless of status, is exempt from due process.
Keyamo had earlier announced on his official X account that the musician would be placed on a no-fly list for allegedly obstructing a ValueJet aircraft, following a confrontation between him and the airline crew on the airport tarmac.
A viral video footage showed that KWAM 1 positioned himself in front of the aircraft, thereby preventing it from taxiing to the runway, an action described by the minister as a severe breach of safety protocols.
The minister instructed NCAA to notify all domestic and international airlines of the restriction, warning that any airline that fails to comply with the directive risks having its operating licence withdrawn.
He wrote:“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 risks withdrawal of their operating licence.”
According to the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), the incident occurred during boarding for a ValueJet flight to Lagos (Flight VK 201), when the musician allegedly attempted to bring an unidentified liquid substance onboard. Aviation regulations prohibit passengers from carrying liquids exceeding 100ml unless properly declared and deemed medically necessary.
Despite multiple warnings from Aviation Security (AVSEC) personnel and the flight captain, KWAM 1 reportedly refused to comply and was consequently asked to step aside, but allegedly reacted by spilling the contents of the flask, which was later confirmed to be alcohol, on one of the security officers.
The situation was said to have escalated when the flight captain intervened and ordered the aircraft doors closed after boarding was completed.
The musician reportedly moved to the front of the aircraft and blocked it from taxiing until he was eventually removed from the tarmac by AVSEC’s crime unit and later released, following an initial investigation.
Keyamo described his disruptive actions as “akin to a hostage situation.”
The minister, in a strongly worded statement on Thursday, citing reports and video evidence submitted by aviation agencies, stated: “I have received reports from all the relevant aviation agencies regarding the altercation between the staff and crew of ValueJet and KWAM 1 at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, on Tuesday, August 7, 2025.
“I have also received video footages of the incident.
“From all the details so far received, my preliminary impression is that it was obviously a case of temporary loss of sanity and control on both sides, which could have led to serious fatalities.
“Contrary to what the agents of KWAM 1 have said, he constantly moved his position on the tarmac to actually block the aircraft from taxiing to take position on the runway for take-off.
“This is totally unacceptable behaviour. The issue of whether he was carrying water or alcohol is not even an 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.
“The actual video footage showing this recalcitrant behaviour is hereby attached.”
The minister also faulted the pilot’s response, stressing that aviation professionals must adhere to safety protocols at all times, regardless of the situation.
Following the incident, NCAA had temporarily suspended the licences of the aircraft’s pilot and captain for breach of protocol by taxing while the tarmac was not fully cleared.
This decision to sanction only the flight crew (identified as Oluranti Ogoyi, the captain, and Ivan Oloba, the first officer) was criticised by the minister, who stressed that both parties violated international civil aviation safety standards and must be held equally accountable, even as the matter is currently under investigation by relevant aviation authorities.
While acknowledging NCAA’s swift action in suspending the pilot’s licence, he expressed concern over the one-sided disciplinary action, saying: “On the other hand, no amount of provocation should make the captain and pilot of an aircraft begin to taxi without ensuring that the security personnel have safely moved an unruly passenger away, who is standing in front of an aircraft.
“Both sides breached standard safety protocol as required by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO).
“I have noted that the NCAA has temporarily suspended the licence of the captain and the pilot, pending full investigation. I commend them for their proactive action.
“However, I have also questioned their sense of justice in only acting against one party and not the other party. What applies to the goose must also apply 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.”
This informed his directive that KWAM 1 be placed on a no-fly list, pending further investigation.
KWAM 1 has disputed the stories making the rounds, saying he was only carrying water, not alchohol, in the flask, and claiming to be the victim, citing the suspension of the crew’s licences as evidence of their wrongdoing.
