The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) says the travel ban placed on Wasiu Ayinde, popular Fuji musician known as KWAM 1, will remain in place indefinitely until ongoing investigations into the flight incident are concluded.
On August 7, Festus Keyamo, the minister of aviation and aerospace development, directed the NCAA to place the musician on a no-fly list for six months, pending the outcome of a full investigation.
Keyamo also warned both domestic and foreign airlines to comply with the no-fly ban on the singer or risk having their operating licences withdrawn.
Speaking during an interview on TVC on Thursday, Mike Achimugu, director of public affairs and consumer protection at NCAA, said the investigation has no specific completion date.
“It is no longer a six-month issue. It is until whenever investigations into this matter have been concluded. There is no certain date for that, but investigations are ongoing,” he said.
On the preliminary findings, the director said the singer passed through airport security scanners successfully and accessed the VIP lounge, where it was believed he obtained a bottle of water.
“Passengers boarding from the VIP lounge still undergo another check before getting on the plane. It was at that point the liquid was discovered, and he was told he could not board with it and was asked to stand aside,” he explained.
The allegation, according to Achimugu, is that KWAM 1 refused to comply and proceeded towards the aircraft.
He noted that security personnel, possibly avoiding the use of force, walked alongside him to the foot of the aircraft, where the pilot was called to assess the situation.
“While that was going on, in trying to prove that what he was carrying was harmless, he splashed water. Somehow, some of it splashed on the pilot, who got angry, got back into the aircraft, and shut the door of the plane,” the director added.
He stressed that the account was based on preliminary investigations and that no conclusion would be drawn until the probe is complete.
The NCAA official said the findings will be made public once the investigation is complete, noting that aviation cases are rarely as simple as they appear.
He assured that the matter will not be swept under the carpet, which is why it has been escalated to the highest legal authorities in the country.
The NCAA had petitioned the attorney-general of the federation (AGF) and the inspector-general of police (IGP) to investigate the incident involving ValueJet airline and KWAM 1.
Meanwhile, the Fuji veteran has apologised saying he regretted the incident.