The Minister of Aviation, Festus Keyamo, has placed Fuji maestro Wasiu Ayinde, otherwise called K1 De Ultimate, on a no-fly list for blocking a ValueJet aircraft from taxiing at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.
Mr Keyamo described KWAM1’s conduct as “recalcitrant” and “totally unacceptable” likening his behaviour to a hostage situation. According to the minister, the argument of whether the Fuji artiste had alcohol or water in his flask became irrelevant the moment he blocked the aircraft.
“The issue of whether he was carrying water or alcohol is not even an issue at this point,” Mr Keyamo wrote in a statement on Thursday. “It is the physical blockage of the aircraft from taxiing that is the reprehensible conduct here akin to a hostage situation. The actual video footage showing this recalcitrant behaviour is hereby attached.”
The minister also reprimanded the pilots asserting “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 that is standing in front of an aircraft.”
He upheld their suspension by the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) but condemned the one-sided punishment that left KWAM1 without any consequence.
“I have also questioned their sense of justice in only acting against one party and not the other party,” Mr Keyamo stated. “What applies to the goose must also (sic) to the gander.”
“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.”
KWAM1, an ally of President Bola Tinubu, was reported to have refused to surrender his flask when questioned by ValueJet officials who suspected it contained alcohol. He was said to have insisted on travelling with the full flask.
The altercation degenerated after he allegedly spilled the content of the flask. “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,” FAAN said in a statement.
A viral video showed that when the musician was denied boarding, he stood in front of the aircraft to prevent it from taxiing while some airline officials pleaded with him to leave the tarmac. The video also showed the pilots trying to taxii slowly, taking care to avoid hitting the singer.
