By Gideon Njoku
Captain Oluranti Ogoyi, the Pilot who was in command of Valuejet Flight VK201 from Abuja to Lagos, and who has been suspended along with her co-Pilot, Flight Officer Ivan Oloba, over a serious incident on Wednesday, August 6, 2025, which involved Juju Artist, Wasiu Ayinde Marshall, popular as Kwam 1, has reportedly told her own side of the story.
KWAM 1, billed to travel on the flight was prevented from doing so after he exhibited an unruly attitude inconsistent with Aviation rules.
He wanted to board the flight while carrying a flask, allegedly, filled with alcohol. When told he couldn’t do that as it was against Aviation protocol, he insisted, and proceeded to splash the contents on an Aviation Security personnel, as well as the Captain who came down to intervene.
However, the incident took an ugly turn when he went and stood in front of the aircraft to stop it from taxing to take off. After several appeals which were in vain, Captain Ogoyi proceeded with her duty, an action which could have had serious consequences on KWAM 1, and, perhaps, other people.
Her license as well as that of the co-pilot has been temporarily suspended while investigation is continuing.
But Kwam1 faces more serious issues. Not only has he been banned from flying for the next six months, he could face prosecution as the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority, NCAA, has written to both the Inspector General of Police and the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister for Justice, seeking his arrest and prosecution.
But, reportedly, telling her own side of the story, the Captain narrated:
“During boarding which commenced as scheduled at 8:10 am, KWAM1 approached the aircraft at about 08:15–08:20 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 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.
“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.
“This incident caused significant delay, disruption, and posed safety risks to passengers, crew, and the operation of the flight.”
Even though the viral video of the incident has been confirmed by the Minister for Aviation, Festus Keyamo, SAN, Kwam 1 denies any unruly behavior, says the flask contained nothing but water, and emphasises: “I am the victim.”
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