The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) needs to take security problems at airports and during flights more seriously. Right now, it seems like the agency isn’t doing enough and is only picking certain cases to handle, which encourages bad behavior from some passengers.
The NCAA is a fully independent agency responsible for regulating aviation in Nigeria. The Civil Aviation Act of 2022 gives it the power to manage safety in the aviation sector, supervise airports and air traffic services, and also handle economic matters in the industry without interference.
Nigeria is a member of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), a UN agency that sets rules for international air travel. As a member, Nigeria—through the NCAA—must follow ICAO rules strictly and make sure that anyone who breaks those rules is punished properly.
Recently, famous musician Wasiu Ayinde Marshal (known as KWAM 1 or K1 De Ultimate) was caught on video blocking a Value Jet plane from taking off at the Abuja airport. He reportedly refused to let the crew check a liquid container he was carrying and even poured some of it on them. Instead of following instructions, he stood in front of the aircraft and wouldn’t move, delaying the flight.
This is not the first time something like this has happened. There have been other incidents involving Air Peace Airlines where passengers misbehaved, either on the ground or in the air. One such case happened on April 12, 2025, when three passengers on a London to Lagos Air Peace flight drank too much alcohol and threatened to break into the cockpit. Despite the seriousness of the situation, nothing was done to punish them after the plane landed.
Another incident involved Senator Adams Oshiomhole, a former governor, who blocked Air Peace staff from doing their job at the Lagos airport because he arrived late for his flight. He claimed to have checked in online but couldn’t show a valid boarding pass. He even climbed onto the baggage belt and blocked the terminal entrance. Yet again, no action was taken against him.
Why is this important? Because it shows that the NCAA handles incidents differently depending on who is involved or which airline is affected. For example, when something happens on an Air Peace flight, little or nothing is done. Even in serious cases, the public rarely hears about it or the punishments given, if any.
The incident involving the drunk passengers was especially dangerous. They could have caused a plane crash. But the NCAA didn’t act as if it was serious. Was this because it happened on an Air Peace flight?
Similarly, Senator Oshiomhole’s case was ignored. Again, was this because it involved Air Peace and a powerful politician?
Now, let’s look more closely at the Value Jet situation. The pilots, Captain Oluranti Ogoyi and First Officer Ivan Oloba, acted carelessly by allowing the aircraft to move while someone was standing in front of it. Instead, they should have waited for security to remove KWAM 1 before starting the engines. Their actions could have ended very badly.
If Air Peace pilots had done what the Value Jet pilots did, the public would have called for their licenses to be revoked. But because it was Value Jet, the NCAA acted quickly.
While KWAM 1’s actions were wrong, so too were the actions of the pilots. But this kind of disruption isn’t new. Air Peace has had similar problems before, yet those were ignored.
If KWAM 1 had acted this way on an Air Peace flight, many people might have defended him. The NCAA might have ignored it, just like in the past.
To be clear, the Value Jet pilots should have waited for the area to be cleared before starting the aircraft. This may have delayed the flight, but it would have been the safer choice.
Compared to the Air Peace incident on April 12, where three drunk passengers forced their way into business class and threatened the plane’s safety at 36,000 feet, the Value Jet situation was far less dangerous. Still, the NCAA reacted more quickly in the less serious case.
Since the Air Peace flight incident, the airline has been trying to get the drunk passengers charged in court. Why hasn’t the NCAA banned those three passengers?
It’s worth noting that the Value Jet pilots were suspended while the matter is investigated, and KWAM 1 was banned from flying for six months. But again, similar or even worse situations involving Air Peace were ignored. This raises questions about fairness.
The NCAA must understand that its inconsistent handling of serious safety issues can damage Nigeria’s reputation in international aviation. Ignoring some incidents while punishing others could hurt the country’s standing with ICAO and impact the recertification of Nigeria’s aviation industry.
Nigeria should not operate like in Animal Farm where “all animals are equal, but some are more equal than others.”
