Popular Fuji musician, Wasiu Ayinde Marshal, popularly known as K1 De Ultimate, has tendered a public apology following a recent altercation involving him and staff of ValueJet Airlines at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja.
In a video released on Friday and made available to Daily Gazette, the music icon admitted fault and described the incident as regrettable.
He also expressed remorse to multiple stakeholders affected by the episode.
“I take full responsibility for all incidents,” KWAM 1 said. “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.”
The singer, who has long portrayed himself as a cultural ambassador of Nigeria, said he deeply regrets that he was involved in such a confrontation.
“I have been a good ambassador of this country in very many ways, and therefore should not be found in such incidents,” he said.
Further explaining his side of the story, K1 clarified that the container which sparked the dispute was filled with water due to a medical recommendation related to dehydration.
“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,” he said.
Reiterating his remorse, the Fuji legend added, “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.”
Despite the backlash, KWAM 1 reaffirmed his loyalty to Nigeria and commitment to national values.
“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,” he concluded.
The apology comes amid heightened scrutiny. Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, on Thursday ordered the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) to place KWAM 1 on a no-fly list pending further investigation.
Keyamo noted that both sides were responsible for escalating the situation but emphasised the seriousness of what occurred.
Describing it as “obviously a case of temporary loss of sanity and control on both sides,” Keyamo warned that such behaviour “could have led to serious fatalities.”
In addition to the no-fly directive, the NCAA has also petitioned the Attorney-General of the Federation, Lateef Fagbemi, and the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, to initiate prosecution against the singer.
According to the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), KWAM 1 displayed unruly behaviour during boarding procedures for a Lagos-bound ValueJet flight.
FAAN spokesperson Obiageli Orah claimed the artiste attempted to board the plane with a flask containing liquid, later said to be alcohol, in violation of aviation rules and that he spilled the contents on an airline security officer.
A viral video of the scene showed the singer positioned directly in front of the aircraft, preventing its movement before security officers intervened.
Keyamo, reacting on social media platform X, 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.”
He continued, “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.”
In the aftermath, the NCAA suspended two pilots from ValueJet for their involvement in what it termed “a serious breach of safety protocols.”
