On August 5, a disruption involving Fuji musician K1 De Ultimate at Abuja airport led to the suspension of ValueJet pilots, but the pilots’ union says the sanctions are unfair.
The National Association of Aircraft Pilots and Engineers (NAAPE) has asked the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) to drop the suspension of the ValueJet captain and first officer. This followed an incident at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport where K1 De Ultimate caused a delay by violating security rules and disrupting boarding. NAAPE argues the blame lies mainly with the musician, who was placed on a no-fly list and is facing legal action.
According to NAAPE President Galadima Abednego, the pilots have clean records and acted under pressure after K1 disobeyed security protocols and blocked the aircraft on the runway. While Abednego admits the captain might have handled the situation better, he called the NCAA’s decision to suspend only the crew, while letting K1 face separate prosecution, a case of unfair treatment.
The incident reportedly started when K1 tried to board the ValueJet flight with an alcohol flask exceeding the allowed limit of 100ml. After being warned by security and the captain, K1 allegedly poured the liquid on a security officer and blocked the plane from taxiing after boarding. The pilots tried to move the plane despite the blockage, which led to NCAA suspending their licenses for taxiing without clearance.
Aviation Minister Festus Keyamo criticized the sanctions as selective, saying both the crew and passenger broke safety rules. He instructed that K1 be blacklisted from flying within Nigeria until investigations conclude.
NAAPE wants a transparent probe and wants ValueJet to back its pilots. The union also reminded passengers that safety at airports is non-negotiable, warning against unruly behaviour.
