Fuji musician, Wasiu Ayinde aka KWAM1, risks being placed on a ‘no-fly’ list by the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) following his unruly behaviour during boarding at the Abuja airport and disrupting flight operations.
According to an incident report by Captain Ranti of ValuJet, who was the pilot in command of Flight VK201 from Abuja to Lagos, on Tuesday, KWAM1 approached the aircraft at about 08:15–08:20 carrying a gold flask of unknown content.
Ground staff requested, as per standard procedure, to verify the content of the flask but he vehemently refused. He was seen drinking from the flask and the ground staff suspected that it contains alcohol, a substance prohibited onboard aircraft in Nigeria.
Instead, he responded with comments such as, “Do you know who I am? You have no right to tell me to open my flask.”
“As he reached the foot of the aircraft, security personnel reiterated that he could not board without complying with the inspection. He became confrontational, causing a disruption,” Captain Ranti continued.
“To manage the situation and prevent further delay, I exited the cockpit and approached Ayinde to engage him amicably. Without warning, he opened the flask and poured its contents on me, the security personnel, and some nearby passengers.
Following this assault, airport security intervened, and other passengers were allowed to continue boarding. The Head of Security advised that Ayinde should not be permitted to travel on the flight due to his behaviour. I agreed, prioritising the safety of my passengers and crew.”
The Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has frowned at the breech of safety protocol by K1 De Ultimate.
The passenger was said to have moved to the front of the aircraft and refused to leave the area despite repeated requests, before he was ultimately escorted away by AVSEC crime unit for further investigation, after which he was released.
FAAN however reiterated its unwavering commitment to the safety and security of all passengers, crew, and airport personnel, saying the Authority will not tolerate any actions that compromise operational integrity or undermine aviation safety standards, regardless of the individuals involved.
It was noted that the matter is currently under thorough investigation, and all parties found culpable will be held accountable according to the law.
It was KWAM1’s disorderly conduct which hindered ValuJet’s flight operations as well as a serious breach of aviation safety protocols, that forced the NCAA to suspend two of the airline’s pilots.
Apart from the suspension of the pilots, the aviation authority is considering punitive measures for Kwam1, such as being put on a ‘no-fly list’, over his unruly conduct.
A ‘no-fly list’ is a database of individuals prohibited from boarding commercial flights due to suspected links to terrorism or other security threats.
The airline is also considering suing the musician for his unruly behaviour which nearly jeopardised its flight operations.
