By Ayo Kehinde
Suspended ValueJet Airline pilot, Capt. Oluranti Ogoyi, has given a detailed account of her encounter with Fuji musician, King Wasiu Ayinde Marshal, popularly known as K1 De Ultimate, at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.
Ogoyi, alongside her co-pilot, Flight Officer Ivan Oloba, was suspended by the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) for violating safety rules. The NCAA has also barred K1 from flying within Nigeria for six months.
In a written statement, Capt. Ogoyi said boarding for the scheduled flight VK201 commenced at 8:10 am, and the musician approached the aircraft around 8:15 am carrying a gold flask of unknown content.
She stated: “Ground staff requested, as per standard procedure, to verify the contents of the flask, but he refused,”
“He was seen drinking from it, and the staff suspected it contained alcohol, which is prohibited onboard aircraft in Nigeria.”
Ogoyi said the musician dismissed the request, asking, “Do you know who I am? You have no right to tell me to open my flask.”
According to her, security personnel at the foot of the aircraft reiterated the instruction, but K1 became confrontational, disrupting the boarding process.
“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,” she recounted.
She said airport security intervened, and the Head of Security advised that the musician should not be allowed to travel on the flight. Ogoyi said she agreed, prioritising the safety of passengers and crew.
“After shutting the aircraft doors, I saw Mr. Ayinde still near the aircraft, obstructing movement. I made a public announcement to explain the delay while security worked to move him away. Once he was out of sight, I commenced taxiing and departed for Lagos at about 8:50 am,” she stated.
Ogoyi added that the incident caused significant delay, disruption, and posed safety risks to passengers, crew, and the operation of the flight.
