By Stephen Gbadamosi, Ibadan
Suspended pilot of ValueJet Airline, Oluranti Ogoyi, has explained what transpired between her and Fuji musician, King Wasiu Ayinde Marshal (a.k.a. KWAM 1 De Ultimate).
Ogoyi was suspended with her co-pilot, Flight Officer Ivan Oloba, by the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) for violating aviation safety rules.
The NCAA has also blacklisted the musician from flying in Nigeria for six months.
But Ogoyi came out today, August 8, to state her own side of the matter.
In a long post on her X, she stated: “During boarding, which commenced as scheduled at 8:10 am, KWAM 1 approached the aircraft at about 08:15 to 08:20 a.m., 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 contained 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.
“To manage the situation and prevent further delay, I exited the cockpit and approached Mr. 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 Mr. Ayinde should not be permitted to travel on the flight due to his behaviour. I agreed, prioritising the safety of my passengers and crew.
“After shutting the aircraft doors, I observed that Mr. Ayinde was still near the aircraft, obstructing movement. I made a public announcement to inform passengers of the delay while security personnel worked to remove him from the area.
“Once he was moved out of sight, I commenced taxiing and departed for Lagos at approximately 08:50 a.m.
“This incident caused significant delay, disruption, and posed safety risks to passengers, crew, and the operation of the flight.”
