…Appoints singer as an aviation ambassador
The Federal Government has ordered the reduction of the indefinite no-fly ban imposed on Fuji icon Wasiu Ayinde, better known as Kwam 1, to one month and the restoration of the licenses of the pilot and co-pilot involved in the ValueJet airline incident after a one-month suspension.
In a statement on Thursday, Minister of Aviation Festus Keyamo announced that the move followed critical consultations with stakeholders in the aviation sector.
Keyamo wrote, “In the case of KWAM 1, the NCAA is to reduce his flight ban to a one-month period”.
“In the case of Captain Oluranti Ogoyi, and the co-pilot, First Officer Ivan Oloba of VALUEJET, the NCAA is to restore their licenses after the same period of one-month ban after undergoing some mandatory professional re-appraisal,” the minister’s statement read in part. “The details will be announced by the NCAA.”
Ambassadorial Role for Fuji Maestro
On August 5, 2025, the singer attempted to stop a ValueJet aircraft at the Nnamdi Azikiwe Airport, Abuja, from moving.
The move attracted backlash from Nigerians, following which the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) placed an indefinite no-fly ban on Kwam 1.
Immediately after the incident, the NCAA wrote to the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, and the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF), Lateef Fagbemi, seeking a “comprehensive criminal investigation and the initiation of appropriate prosecution” against the singer, an ally of President Bola Tinubu.
The singer later apologised for the incident, but Keyamo on Thursday announced that the criminal complaints lodged against Kwam have been withdrawn and the singer has been named as an aviation ambassador.
“FAAN will also work with the music star with a view to engaging him as an ambassador for proper airport security protocol going forward,” the minister wrote.
He said, “Having publicly demonstrated penitence, the NCAA is also to withdraw its criminal complaints against KWAM 1, earlier lodged with the Police”.
