Fuji music singer, Wasiu Ayinde Marshal, also known as K1 De Ultimate, has apologised for the altercation that ensued between him and some employees of ValueJet at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, on Tuesday.
In a video circulated to the media on Friday, KWAM 1 described his action as regrettable.
“I take full responsibility for all incidents. Once again, I seek forgiveness from Mr. President, the Commander-in-Chief of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, who’s also my father and father of the nation, the Honorable Minister for Aviation, the pilot, the airline, the airline staff, passengers, and above all, my fans across the globe, my family, for the incident,” he said.
The singer said he had been a good ambassador of the country “in very many ways, and therefore, “should not be found in such incidents”.
“I accept responsibility and appeal to Mr. President, the country, the Minister for Aviation, the FAAN, the NCAA, and my fans across the globe to please pardon my behaviour,” he said.
Explaining his involvement in the incident, KWAM 1 said he had water in the container that was the bone of contention.
“I poured water in it [the container] because of my health situation. I need to be sipping water because I’m dehydrated, as recommended by a doctor to me.
“As I said, I take full responsibility for all incidents. Once again, I seek forgiveness from Mr. President, the Commander-in-Chief of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, who’s also my father and father of the nation, the Honorable Minister for Aviation, the pilot, the airline, the airline staff, passengers, and above all, my fans across the globe, my family, for the incident.
“My love for the country is unshakable. I am still the darling ambassador of our nation, and I’ll continue to carry the banner of this great country everywhere all my life. Thank you once again. Please accept my apology,” the Fuji artiste added.
No-fly-list
The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, had on Thursday directed the Nigeria Civil Aviation Agency (NCAA) to place Fuji musician on a no-fly list following the incident.
Keyamo described the incident as “obviously a case of temporary loss of sanity and control on both sides, which could have led to serious fatalities”.
The minister said the artiste would be on the list pending full investigation, warning that anyone who flouted the directive risked the withdrawal of their operating licence.
The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) had accused the musician of unruly behaviour during boarding at the airport.
FAAN alleged that K1 De Ultimate, a passenger, attempted to carry an unidentified liquid substance on board a Lagos-bound aircraft despite repeated warnings from aviation security personnel and the flight captain.
Its spokesperson, Obiageli Orah, said in a statement that the aircraft was scheduled to be operated by ValueJet Airlines.
It said the musician tried to board the plane with a flask containing liquid later identified as alcohol in violation of aviation laws.
It also accused him of spilling the liquid on an airline security officer.
A viral video of the incident showed the singer in front of the aircraft before he was taken away by security officers.
Following the incident, the NCAA has suspended two ValueJet Airlines pilots involved in the incident, which it described as a serious breach of safety protocols.
Keyamo, in the X post, said: “The issue of whether he was carrying water or alcohol is not even in issue at this point. It is the physical blockage of the aircraft from taxiing that is the reprehensible conduct here, which is akin to a hostage situation.
“The actual video footage showing this recalcitrant behaviour is hereby attached. On the other hand, no amount of provocation should make the captain and pilot of an aircraft begin to taxi without ensuring that the security personnel have safely moved an unruly passenger away who is standing in front of an aircraft.”
