A human rights activist and co-convener of Bring-Back-Our-Girls, Aisha Yesufu has criticized Wasiu Ayinde, the popular Fuji musician also known as Kwam 1, for his “misplaced arrogance”.
This comes after an audio recording surfaced online. The audio tape alleged to be his voice, had him threatening the owner of ValueJet.
On August 5, the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) suspended two ValueJet pilots over a safety breach at the domestic terminal of the Nnamdi Azikiwe airport, Abuja.
The authority said preliminary findings showed that the pilot commenced departure procedures from the designated bay without adhering to the mandatory pre-departure clearance protocols.
According to the NCAA, the ‘reckless action’ endangered the safety of ground personnel and other airport users, contravening established civil aviation regulations and international safety standards.
The pilots’ suspension was linked to the disorderly conduct of Kwam 1 who was originally a passenger. The artist was spotted drinking from a flask, prompting a flight attendant to intervene over suspicions that it contained alcohol, a prohibited substance onboard aircraft in Nigeria.
Speaking on the matter, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) said the singer had attempted to board the aircraft with an unidentified liquid substance despite repeated warnings from aviation security (AVSEC) personnel and the flight captain.
FAAN said the contents were spilled on a security officer during an attempt to verify, and later confirmed to be alcohol. However, in a statement on Thursday, August 7, Kwam 1 said the incident was “not only exaggerated but also misleading”.
The singer, a personal friend of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, argued that the substance was “plain drinking water” given to him at the airport lounge while awaiting boarding and “not alcohol.
On Saturday, August 9, a leaked audio recording of Kwam 1 was released, where he described the tense event involving ValueJet Airline at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja. The recording, which captures a voice alleged to be Kwam 1’s recounting his confrontation with ValueJet employees, has sparked a new public debate and polarised opinions on social media.
In the recording, Kwam 1 claimed that he was not feeling well and needed to bring a flask of water on board due to a medical issue. He recalled his interaction with airline authorities, citing unfair treatment and detailing how the incident developed when he was denied boarding the flight. Kwam 1 talked about how he spilled the content of the flask down a ValueJet employee’s face, claiming it was water.
In addition to expressing annoyance at being refused boarding, Kwam 1 subtly warned the airline’s leadership about the ValueJet owner’s business ties. ValueJet is owned by Kunle Soname, a Nigerian businessman.
Kwam 1 declared: “Soname (Kunle)will feel me. He will feel me in his business.”
Reacting to the viral audio, Aisha Yesufu, an ally of presidential hopeful Peter Obi, wrote on her verified X (formerly Twitter) handle on Sunday, August 10.
“This is just misplaced arrogance! He made it a national issue not the airline. Probably because he felt he knew someone in Aso villa!“
On his part, another activist, Verydarkman condemned whoever published the audio tape. He said it was not necessary as Kwam 1 already made a public apology for his conduct.
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