Capt. Oluranti Ogoyi, the pilot of the ValueJet Airlines involved in a clash with Fuji singer, King Wasiu Ayinde Marshal (KWAM1), at Abuja airport, has explained what transpired.
Recall that the pilot and KWAM 1 had an altercation at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, when the musician was not allowed to take his golden flask onto the plane without disclosing its contents to officials.
The faceoff degenerated to the point that the musician was not allowed to board the ValueJet aircraft. He, in turn, stood in front of the aircraft to prevent it from leaving the apron.
Ogoyi later appeared to have dared him and moved the plane, narrowly missing hitting the musician.
For this action, the aviation regulatory body, Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), suspended her and her co-pilot, Flight Officer Ivan Oloba.
The NCAA has also taken action against KWAM 1, barring him from flying within Nigeria for six months.
He asked us if we knew who he was- Pilot, Oluranti Ogovi
Sharing her side of the story in a statement, Capt. Ogoyi recalled that boarding for flight VK201 had been on for five minutes when K1 approached the aircraft around 8:15 am, holding a flask.
The pilot said ground staff, acting on standard operating procedure, demanded to know the contents of the flask.
She narrated that the musician refused to comply, but continued to drink from the golden flask.
Ogoyi said ValueJet ground staff believed the flask contained alcohol, a substance not allowed on board aircraft in Nigeria.
The pilot said every entreaty to make the musician failed, as he asked them, “Do you know who I am?”
The lady said the ground officials refused to be intimidated and insisted on knowing what was in the flask. She said the musician then began to disrupt the boarding process.
The pilot said she came out of the cockpit to manage the situation by engaging him amicably.
According to her, without any warning, the musician splashed the contents of the flask on her, some security personnel, and passengers who were near at the time.
Ogoyi said the Head of Security intervened and advised that the musician should not be allowed to travel on the flight.
The pilot said she agreed with the decision, prioritising the safety of passengers and crew.
Ogoyi said that after shutting the aircraft doors, she could see KWAM 1 near the aircraft, obstructing movement.
She said she made a public announcement to explain the delay while security worked to move him away.
The pilot said once the musician was out of sight, she commenced taxiing the plane and ultimately departed for Lagos about 8:50 am.
She said the incident delayed the flight and posed safety risks to the crew, passengers, and the operation of the flight.
It’s a hostage situation- Aviation Minister, Keyamo
Meanwhile, the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, has condemned the conduct of KWAM 1.
He also confirmed that the musician had been blacklisted for his unruly behaviour.
The minister likened KWAM1’s action to a hostage situation and warned airlines to stay away from him.
According to the minister, any airline who flies the musician risks both locally or internationally risks losing their licence.
The minister said the incident was a case of temporary loss of sanity and control on both sides, stressing that it could have led to serious fatalities.
The minister said that from the footage sent to him, it was clear that the man was deliberately moving around on the tarmac to block the aircraft from taxiing where it would take off.
He described the behaviour as totally unacceptable, even as he also stressed that there was no justification for the pilot to begin to taxi without first ensuring that an unruly passenger had been moved out of the front of an aircraft.
He blamed the two parties for putting the lives of passengers at risk with their actions.
See another clip from the faceoff here.
