Suspended ValueJet Airlines pilot, Captain Oluranti Ogoyi, has detailed her account of the controversial confrontation with veteran Fuji musician, King Wasiu Ayinde Marshal, popularly known as KWAM1, at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, on Tuesday, August 5, 2025.

The altercation, captured in a viral video on Wednesday, showed KWAM1 allegedly attempting to obstruct the plane’s takeoff. The incident sparked widespread public backlash and led the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, alongside the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), to impose a six-month flying ban on the singer.

Captain Ogoyi and her co-pilot, Flight Officer Ivan Oloba, were also suspended by the NCAA for breaching safety protocols during the incident.

The Pilot’s Account
In a written statement reported by The WILL, Ogoyi said boarding for the scheduled flight VK201 began at 8:10 a.m. when KWAM1 approached the aircraft at around 8:15 a.m. carrying a gold flask containing an unidentified substance.

According to Ogoyi, the musician refused requests from both her and the ground staff to check the contents of the flask, responding:

“Do you know who I am? You have no right to tell me to open my flask.”

Ground staff reportedly suspected the flask contained alcohol, which is prohibited onboard Nigerian aircraft. Security personnel stationed at the aircraft’s foot also instructed KWAM1 to comply, but he allegedly became confrontational, delaying boarding.

“To manage the situation, I left the cockpit to engage him amicably. Without warning, he poured the contents of the flask on me, security personnel, and some nearby passengers,” Ogoyi recounted.

She added that after the aircraft doors were shut, KWAM1 remained near the plane, obstructing movement. She made a public announcement to explain the delay while security cleared the singer from the area. The flight eventually departed for Lagos at approximately 8:50 a.m.

The NCAA has not disclosed whether the suspensions of Ogoyi and Oloba may be lifted before the six-month period.