Suspended ValueJet pilot, Captain Oluranti Ogoyi, has provided a detailed account of the dramatic encounter with Fuji music icon, King Wasiu Ayinde Marshal, popularly known as K1 De Ultimate, that led to her suspension and sparked widespread controversy across Nigeria’s aviation sector.
Captain Ogoyi and her co-pilot, Flight Officer Ivan Oloba, were suspended by the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) for alleged violations of safety protocols during the July 31 incident involving the Fuji legend at an airport in the country. The NCAA has also taken the rare step of blacklisting K1 from flying through any Nigerian airport for six months and petitioned the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), as well as the Inspector General of Police, IGP Kayode Egbetokun, urging that the musician be prosecuted.
Confirming the situation, Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, stated that appropriate legal actions were underway.
In a statement released on Thursday, Captain Ogoyi recounted her ordeal and defended her actions during the altercation.
According to her, boarding commenced as scheduled at 8:10 a.m. when K1 approached the aircraft five to ten minutes later, carrying a gold flask with unknown contents.
“Ground staff requested, as per standard procedure, to verify the content of the flask but he vehemently refused,” she explained. “He was seen drinking from the flask, and the ground staff suspected it contained alcohol — a substance prohibited on board aircraft in Nigeria.”
Ogoyi said K1 dismissed staff concerns, retorting: “Do you know who I am? You have no right to tell me to open my flask.”
She said the situation escalated at the foot of the aircraft stairs, where security personnel also tried to intervene but met resistance. Attempting to de-escalate the tension and prevent further delay, the pilot said she left the cockpit to engage the musician personally.
However, what followed was unexpected. “Without warning, he opened the flask and poured its contents on me, the security personnel, and some nearby passengers,” Ogoyi revealed.
Following what she described as an act of physical assault, airport security intervened to control the situation. The Head of Security, according to her, recommended that K1 should not be allowed to board due to his conduct. She agreed, citing the safety of passengers and crew as her top priority.
“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,” she stated.
Once the area was cleared, Captain Ogoyi said she taxied the plane and departed for Lagos at approximately 8:50 a.m.
“This incident caused significant delay, disruption, and posed safety risks to passengers, crew, and the operation of the flight,” she concluded.
The incident has since sparked debate over the enforcement of aviation safety rules and the treatment of VIPs in Nigeria’s airspace. Meanwhile, K1 has yet to publicly address Captain Ogoyi’s detailed claims, though earlier reports suggested he denied any wrongdoing during the encounter.
The aviation authorities maintain that safety regulations must be applied uniformly, regardless of status or fame.
