FG Appoints KWAM 1 Aviation Security Ambassador After Airport Controversy

The Federal Government has appointed Fuji star KWAM 1 as an aviation security ambassador, following the reduction of his flight ban over an airport incident in Abuja.

The Federal Government has announced plans to engage Fuji legend, Wasiu Ayinde Marshal, popularly known as KWAM 1, as an ambassador for proper airport security protocol, following a recent controversy over his conduct at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.

The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, disclosed this on Wednesday in a statement outlining resolutions to recent cases of unruly behaviour at Nigerian airports.

Keyamo revealed that the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) had agreed to reduce KWAM 1’s flight ban to one month and would collaborate with the music icon to promote awareness on acceptable conduct within the aviation space. The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) will lead the engagement process.

“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.

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Having publicly demonstrated penitence, the NCAA is also to withdraw its criminal complaints against KWAM 1 earlier lodged with the police,” the statement read.

The decision followed appeals from well-meaning individuals, alongside KWAM 1’s public show of penitence over the August 5 incident in which he allegedly obstructed a ValueJet aircraft’s movement.

Days earlier, the musician had apologised to the public, clarifying that the flask he carried on the day of the incident contained water for medical purposes, not alcohol as alleged by security officials.

The minister stressed that the clemency was granted on “compassionate grounds” but warned that the government remained committed to enforcing safety and security laws in the aviation sector.

On August 5, KWAM 1 was accused of breaching aviation safety regulations by carrying a prohibited flask believed to contain alcohol, spilling it on personnel, and walking onto the tarmac to block a plane from taxiing. Initially, the NCAA placed him on a six-month no-fly list and filed a criminal complaint with the police.