Renowned Fuji musician, King Wasiu Ayinde Marshal, popularly known as K1 De Ultimate, has denied allegations of unruly behavior during a boarding incident on Tuesday at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja.
In a statement released Thursday by his media representative, Kunle Rasheed, the artist described the reports as exaggerated and misleading.
Rasheed explained that the incident stemmed from a misunderstanding after K1 was handed a bottle of water while waiting in the airport lounge for his ValueJet flight.
Despite the artist’s attempts to explain the nature of the bottle’s contents, the situation escalated. Rasheed insisted that K1 at no point violated safety rules or endangered anyone.
“The item in question, wrongly sensationalised in the media, was simply bottled water given to him in the lounge,” he said. “Allegations that he disrupted flight operations or blocked the aircraft are completely baseless. As someone who travels frequently, both within and outside Nigeria, K1 fully complies with all aviation regulations.”
According to Rasheed, officials from the airport, including the Head of Airport Security and representatives of both the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) and the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), stepped in to calm the situation.
He also revealed that the airline’s Chairman and Managing Director personally reached out to K1 to offer an apology and even arranged a private jet to Lagos at no cost — an offer the musician declined.
Rasheed called on the media and the public to avoid sensational reporting and allow facts to prevail.
Meanwhile, the FAAN’s Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, Mrs Obiageli Orah, confirmed K1 was scheduled to board the ValueJet flight VK 201 to Lagos on the morning of August 5.
Orah noted that initial investigations indicated the musician tried to board with an unidentified liquid despite multiple warnings from Aviation Security (AVSEC) officers and the flight captain. She added that aviation regulations prohibit carrying liquids exceeding 100 ml onboard unless declared and medically justified.
She stated that the musician allegedly ignored the warnings and poured the liquid — later identified as alcohol — on a security officer. He was subsequently escorted away by AVSEC’s crime unit for questioning and later released.
In a separate development, NCAA spokesperson Michael Achimugu disclosed that the authority is also investigating a separate breach by the ValueJet pilot, who reportedly began departure procedures without obtaining the required clearance.
“This act posed risks to airport personnel and passengers, violating national and international aviation safety protocols,” Achimugu said. Both the pilot and co-pilot have been suspended pending the outcome of the investigation.
ValueJet, in a statement, confirmed the incident and assured the public of its full cooperation with the NCAA’s inquiry. The airline stated that the crew involved had been removed from active duty as part of an internal review aimed at preventing similar occurrences.