Popular Fuji musician and known ally of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Wasiu Ayinde Marshal, popularly called Kwam 1 or K1 De Ultimate, may be facing the prospect of life imprisonment or, at the very least, a 10-year jail term if the Federal Government enforces the law impartially, legal practitioner and writer, Abdul Mahmud, has said.
In a strongly worded statement on Thursday, Mahmud called for the prosecution of the music icon under Section 33 of the Civil Aviation Act, 2022, over an alleged act of endangering lives during a recent incident at an airport runway.
The Abuja-based lawyer condemned the musician’s reported actions as a direct threat to aviation safety, stressing that the offence committed is not only grave but criminal in nature.
“The law must be upheld, no matter whose name is involved,” Mahmud said, decrying any attempt to trivialise the matter with a mere airport ban. He insisted that the gravity of the alleged conduct calls for full legal action, not administrative slap-on-the-wrist sanctions.
Citing Section 33 of the Civil Aviation Act, he noted: “A person commits an offence if he or she does any act or omission which endangers or is likely to endanger the safety of an aircraft in flight, taxiing, landing or taking off.”
Mahmud further emphasised that offences of this nature are categorised as strict liability crimes, where the mere act itself, regardless of intent, is enough to secure conviction.
“A drunken man, inflated by his own fantasy of influence, thought it wise to body-check an aircraft as it prepared to taxi. Not on a street. On a runway. And people are talking about a ban?” Mahmud queried.
“This is not a moment for slap-on-the-wrist theatrics. It is a grave criminal offence. A violation of the Civil Aviation Act, 2022… The law prescribes life imprisonment or not less than 10 years behind bars.”
He concluded that Kwam 1 should be made to face the full consequences of his actions if found guilty, saying: “No ifs. No buts.”
The incident, which occurred on 5 August at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, involved a scheduled ValueJet flight and has since sparked nationwide uproar, especially after it resulted in the suspension of two pilots by the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA).
According to SaharaReporters, the musician allegedly disrupted the flight after being asked by flight crew to surrender a personal flask, which was suspected to contain alcohol—a prohibited substance on domestic flights. He reportedly refused, claiming the contents were prescribed by a medical doctor.
After declining to comply with crew instructions, the musician was deboarded. However, witnesses reported that he stormed the tarmac and attempted to obstruct the aircraft from taking off.
Eyewitnesses described his actions as “thuggish, entitled and dangerous,” with several reports confirming he stood in front of the moving aircraft. Airport staff and the musician had to reportedly duck under the aircraft wings as the pilots commenced takeoff without proper clearance from the control tower.
The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) also confirmed the incident through a statement issued by its Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, Mrs Obiageli Orah.
According to FAAN, Wasiu Ayinde spilled alcohol on aviation staff who attempted to verify the contents of his flask, further escalating the situation.
The case continues to draw public and legal scrutiny, with calls growing for regulatory authorities and the Federal Government to take decisive action in accordance with the law.
