The Minister of Airspace and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, has reacted to Tuesday’s incident between the staff and crew of ValueJet and Fuji Icon, Wasiu Ayinde Marshal popularly known as Kwam 1.
In a tweet on his X account, Keyamo disclosed receiving reports from all the relevant aviation agencies regarding the altercation at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport.
The minister disclosed that from his preliminary impression, “it was obviously a case of temporary loss of sanity and control on both sides which could have led to serious fatalities.”
He added that contrary to what the agents of Kwam 1 has 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, describing the incident as 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 akin to a hostage situation,” Keyamo said.
Speaking on the action of the pilot, Keyamo said on 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 (Kwam 1) away that is standing in front of an aircraft.
He stated that both sides breached standard safety protocol as required by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO).
While commending the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) for temporarily suspending the license of the captain and the pilot pending full investigation, he questioned their sense of justice in only acting against one party and not the other party.
“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,” he said.
The minister has however 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 concluded.
This paper earlier reported that the NCAA had blacklisted Kwam 1 from all Nigerian commercial flights for a period of six months.
This followed Kwam 1’s unruly behavior which reportedly compromised airport protocol and disrupted standard boarding and departure procedures at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja.
The Director of Consumer Protection at the NCAA Michael Achimugu disclosed this on Thursday.
According to the NCAA, the licenses of pilots involved in the incident have been suspended temporarily, pending the outcome of a full investigation.
NCAA added that safety, order, and respect for standard procedures must be maintained at all times, regardless of status or social standing.
Achimugu added that no one is “untouchables” in Nigeria’s airspace, dismissing rumours that Kwam 1 would not be punished because of his closeness to the presidency.
He said, “The fact that he is a well-known figure or even close to the President does not exempt him from the law,” he said. “President Bola Tinubu himself is a respecter of the law and would not condone any act that undermines public safety or the regulatory authority of the NCAA.”
FAAN, NCAA earlier statement on Kwam 1
The New Daily Prime reported earlier that the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) had confirmed Kwam 1 involvement in the disruptive incident.
In a statement released on Wednesday, FAAN disclosed that the music icon allegedly spilt alcohol on an aviation security officer who attempted to inspect the contents of a flask he was carrying. The incident occurred on August 5 at the domestic terminal and has since led to the suspension of two ValueJet pilots.
According to FAAN, the Olori’ba of Ijebuland, who was scheduled to fly from Abuja to Lagos aboard ValueJet Flight VK 201, violated aviation safety protocols when he refused to comply with standard security checks involving liquids onboard.
The NCAA had earlier announced the suspension of the two ValueJet pilots for initiating departure procedures without receiving the required pre-departure clearance. While the NCAA did not mention the musician directly, reports later revealed that Kwam 1’s disruptive behaviour contributed to the safety breach.
