The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) says the travel
ban placed on Wasiu Ayinde, popular Fuji musician known as KWAM 1, will remain
in place indefinitely until ongoing investigations into the flight incident are
concluded.
On August 7, Festus Keyamo, the minister of aviation and
aerospace development, directed the NCAA to place the musician on a no-fly list
for six months, pending the outcome of a full investigation.
Keyamo also warned both domestic and foreign airlines to
comply with the no-fly ban on the singer or risk having their operating
licences withdrawn.
Speaking during an interview on TVC on Thursday, Mike
Achimugu, director of public affairs and consumer protection at NCAA, said the
investigation has no specific completion date.
“It is no longer a six-month issue. It is until whenever
investigations into this matter have been concluded. There is no certain date
for that, but investigations are ongoing,” he said.
On the preliminary findings, the director said the singer
passed through airport security scanners successfully and accessed the VIP
lounge, where it was believed he obtained a bottle of water.
“Passengers boarding from the VIP lounge still undergo
another check before getting on the plane. It was at that point the liquid was
discovered, and he was told he could not board with it and was asked to stand
aside,” he explained.
The allegation, according to Achimugu, is that KWAM 1
refused to comply and proceeded towards the aircraft.
He noted that security personnel, possibly avoiding the use
of force, walked alongside him to the foot of the aircraft, where the pilot was
called to assess the situation.
“While that was going on, in trying to prove that what he
was carrying was harmless, he splashed water. Somehow, some of it splashed on
the pilot, who got angry, got back into the aircraft, and shut the door of the
plane,” the director added.
He stressed that the account was based on preliminary
investigations and that no conclusion would be drawn until the probe is
complete.
The NCAA official said the findings will be made public once
the investigation is complete, noting that aviation cases are rarely as simple
as they appear.
He assured that the matter will not be swept under the
carpet, which is why it has been escalated to the highest legal authorities in
the country.
The NCAA had petitioned the attorney-general of the
federation (AGF) and the inspector-general of police (IGP) to investigate the
incident involving ValueJet airline and KWAM 1.
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