The ValueJet Pilot who had an altercation with Fuji musician Kwam 1 has given her own account of what happened at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport Abuja
At the heart of the incident are KWAM 1 and ValueJet’s suspended pilot, Captain Oluranti Ogoyi, who has subsequently given a detailed account of what transpired.
Her narrative contrasts sharply with K1’s defence and apology, over an infraction that escalated, temporarily halting a commercial flight.
Captain Ogoyi’s recollection begins with the methodical order of a boarding process. At 8:10 a.m., passengers began embarking for Lagos. Minutes later, KWAM 1 arrived, carrying what she described as “a gold flask of unknown content.”
She said: “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.”
According to her, in her attempt to manage the situation and calm frayed nerves, she left the cockpit and approached him, only for him to open the flask and pour its contents over her, a security officer, 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.
“This incident caused significant delay, disruption, and posed safety risks to passengers, crew, and the operation of the flight.”
The Nation Newspaper