The minister of aviation and aerospace development, Festus Keyamo, has directed the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) to reduce the no-fly ban on Fuji artist, King Wasiu Ayinde Marshal, popularly known as KWAM 1, to one month.
In a statement posted on his X on Wednesday morning, Keyamo also directed the NCAA to withdraw the criminal complaints lodged against him with the inspector general of police (IGP).
LEADERSHIP reports that the ban followed an incident at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in which the music star was accused of obstructing an aircraft’s departure during a heated exchange with the flight crew. The matter sparked widespread public debate, with the NCAA imposing a ban and filing a criminal com against the artiste.
“The NCAA is to reduce his flight ban to a one-month period. FAAN will also work with the music star with a view to engaging him as an ambassador for proper airport security protocol going forward,” he said.
The Minister cited KWAM 1’s public show of penitence and his willingness to cooperate with aviation authorities as factors in the decision.
“Having publicly demonstrated penitence, the NCAA is also to withdraw its criminal complaints against KWAM 1 earlier lodged with the Police,” Keyamo stated.
The intervention also affected ValueJet’s Captain Oluranti Ogoyi and First Officer Ivan Oloba, who were sanctioned in relation to the incident. Both will have their licences restored after a one-month suspension and completion of a “mandatory professional re-appraisal.”
Keyamo underscored that the government remained firm on aviation safety and discipline:
“We take safety and security in the aviation sector very seriously and we have decided to draw a line after these clemencies.”
The Minister also announced that all relevant aviation agencies would begin a retreat next week to retrain security personnel on handling errant passengers and preventing similar incidents, with the press given full access to the sessions.
