Captain Ranti Ogoyi the pilot in command Value Jet airline of Flight VK201 from Abuja to Lagos which K1 stood in front to prevent from flying has reacted in full to the what transpired during the altercation that led to the famous being nearly hit by wing of the plane, reports thegazellenews.com
Below is the full report of what happened according to the pilot who has now been suspended by the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), thegazellenews.com reports further.
“During boarding which commenced as scheduled at 8:10 am, KWAM1 approached the aircraft at about 08:15–08:20 carrying a gold flask of unknown content.
“Ground staff requested, as per standard procedure, to verify the content of the flask but he vehemently refused.
“He was seen drinking from the flask and the ground staff suspected that it contains alcohol, a substance prohibited onboard aircraft in Nigeria.
“Instead, he responded with comments such as, “Do you know who I am? You have no right to tell me to open my flask.
“As he reached the foot of the aircraft, security personnel reiterated that he could not board without complying with the inspection. He became confrontational, causing a disruption,” Captain Ranti continued.
“To manage the situation and prevent further delay, I exited the cockpit and approached Mr. Ayinde to engage him amicably. Without warning, he opened the flask and poured its contents on me, the security personnel, and some nearby passengers.
“Following this assault, airport security intervened, and other passengers were allowed to continue boarding. The Head of Security advised that Mr. Ayinde should not be permitted to travel on the flight due to his behaviour. I agreed, prioritising the safety of my passengers and crew.
“After shutting the aircraft doors, I observed that Mr Ayinde was still near the aircraft, obstructing movement. I made a Public Announcement to inform passengers of the delay while security personnel worked to remove him from the area. Once he was moved out of sight, I commenced taxiing and departed for Lagos at approximately 08:50.
“This incident caused significant delay, disruption, and posed safety risks to passengers, crew, and the operation of the flight.”
Thegazellenews.com recalled that while both Captain Ranti and her co-pilot have been suspended, the popular Fuji musician has also been barred from using any airport in Nigeria for six months pending the conclusions of the NCAA’s investigation into the event.
