Fuji music legend Wasiu Ayinde Marshal, popularly known as Kwam 1, has been named an ambassador for airport security protocol by the Federal Government, just days after a heated altercation aboard a ValueJet flight led to his removal and a temporary flight ban.
The announcement, made on Wednesday by Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development Festus Keyamo, follows consultations with aviation stakeholders and a review of recent incidents involving unruly passengers, including Kwam 1 and another high-profile case involving Comfort Emmanson.
“Though regrettable, we think valuable lessons have been learnt by all sides to these incidents and airport security protocol… have been well highlighted for the travelling public,” Keyamo said.
He noted that the controversies had sparked nationwide awareness about proper conduct in aviation spaces.
The ValueJet incident occurred on August 5 when Kwam 1 allegedly refused to surrender a flask suspected of containing alcohol, insisting it held prescribed medication.
Flight crew members removed him from the aircraft, accusing him of trying to prevent takeoff, a breach of aviation safety regulations. The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) initially petitioned Inspector-General of Police Kayode Egbetokun over the matter, prompting criticism that the singer was being treated more leniently than Emmanson, who faced harsher penalties in a separate case.
Following a review, the NCAA reduced Kwam 1’s flight ban to one month, dropped its criminal complaint, and confirmed plans for him to work with the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) as a public face for airport protocol compliance. Two ValueJet pilots linked to the incident were also suspended for a month.
In the case of Emmanson, who was banned for life from Ibom Air and remanded in Kirikiri Prison after a confrontation with airline staff, Keyamo said the government appealed for leniency after she expressed “great remorse” in a police statement.
Ibom Air has agreed to lift her ban, with the Commissioner of Police, Airport Command, and the police prosecutor facilitating her release this week.