NCAA Director Achimugu has addressed recent incidents involving unruly air passengers, including Fuji musician Wasiu Ayinde, popularly known as K1 De Ultimate.
Achimugu explained that in K1’s case, the airline involved, ValueJet, chose not to pursue legal action. As a result, the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) stepped in, petitioning the relevant authorities to prosecute him and issued an advisory to the Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON) to place him on a no-fly list.
“In the singer’s case, the airline didn’t activate its right to take the matter to court. That’s why NCAA intervened,” he said.
In contrast, Achimugu noted that Ibom Air immediately pursued legal action after its crew member was assaulted by a passenger, prompting a different response from the NCAA.
“Perhaps because their staff was assaulted, the airline promptly went to court, which made NCAA’s involvement unnecessary,” he added.
He stressed that both incidents reflect a broader challenge within the aviation system and that responsibility is shared among FAAN, AVSEC, crew members, and passengers.
