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UPDATED: NCAA stops Fuji star K1 de Ultimate from flying for six months
The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority has said popular Fuji musician, Wasiu Ayinde, also known as K1 de Ultimate, will be blacklisted from flying within Nigeria for six months over alleged misconduct at the domestic terminal of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.
The Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection at the NCAA, Michael Achimugu, disclosed this on Thursday during a press briefing.
“What I must assure the general public is that everybody involved in this will be brought to book.
“As we speak, the passenger is going to be blacklisted for the next six months flying in Nigeria,” he said.
Achimugu added that aviation rules are global and made for the safety of all, stressing that no individual would be exempt from accountability.
“So, we will do everything we can to get to the root of it. Everybody who needs to be punished or sanctioned will receive justice,” he added.
He further revealed that the agency was writing to the Attorney General of the Federation and the Inspector General of Police to initiate legal proceedings against the musician.
When asked whether Ayinde would be spared prosecution due to his close ties with President Bola Tinubu, Achimugu said both Tinubu and the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, were committed to upholding the rule of law.
Meanwhile, the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, has directed that K1 be placed on a no-fly list pending the outcome of an investigation into the incident.
In a post on his official X account on Thursday, Keyamo said he had reviewed reports and video footage from relevant aviation agencies and concluded that both the musician and the aircraft crew acted in ways that breached safety protocols.
“I have received reports from all the relevant Aviation agencies regarding the altercation between the staff and crew of ValueJet and Kwam 1 at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, on Tuesday, August 7, 2025. I have also received video footage of the incident.
“From all the details so far received, my preliminary impression is that it was obviously a case of temporary loss of sanity and control on both sides, which could have led to serious fatalities,” the minister said.
Keyamo added that the action was “akin to a hostage situation,” warning that no one, including celebrities, would be allowed to act with impunity.
He added, “Contrary to what the agents of Kwam 1 has said, he CONSTANTLY moved his position on the tarmac to ACTUALLY BLOCK the aircraft from taxiing to take position on the runway for take-off. This is TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE behaviour. The issue of whether he was carrying water or alcohol is not even in issue at this point.
“It is the physical blockage of the aircraft from taxiing that is the reprehensible conduct here which akin to a hostage situation.”
He also questioned why only the pilot and captain had been sanctioned, stating that “what applies to the goose must also apply to the gander.”
“In the circumstance, I have also directed the NCAA to place KWAM 1 on a no-fly list pending further and full investigation, just like the captain and pilot.
“All airlines, both domestic and international should immediately be informed of this directive and anyone who flouts this directive risk withdrawal of their operating licence,” the statement concluded.
The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria had earlier confirmed it was investigating K1 de Ultimate over an alleged violation of aviation security protocols at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.
In a statement on Wednesday, FAAN said the incident occurred during boarding procedures for a ValueJet Airlines flight (VK 201) to Lagos on Monday, August 5.
The musician was accused of attempting to carry an unidentified liquid substance onboard despite repeated warnings from aviation security personnel and the flight captain.
FAAN explained that the item in question, a flask, contained liquid beyond the 100ml limit permitted under international aviation security regulations.
Tensions reportedly escalated when the musician refused further screening and spilled the contents of the flask, later confirmed to be alcohol, on a security officer.
However, the musician denied wrongdoing, describing the reports as exaggerated and misleading.
In a statement issued by his media aide, Kunle Rasheed, K1 maintained that the flask contained plain drinking water given to him at the airport lounge and that he made respectful efforts to clarify the matter before it was unnecessarily escalated.
The statement dismissed claims that he blocked the aircraft or threatened safety procedures, insisting the singer remained calm throughout the encounter and never acted in a manner that endangered lives.
It also alleged that senior airport officials and airline executives reached out personally to apologise over the misunderstanding, even offering a private jet to fly him to Lagos at no cost.
“We urge the media and the public to avoid sensationalism and allow the truth — not assumptions — to guide their judgment. K1 remains a law-abiding citizen and continues to cooperate fully with all relevant authorities to ensure that the matter is responsibly resolved,” the statement read.
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If Earthlings are ever going to colonise Mars, they won’t be able to do so on an empty stomach — and Temidayo Oniosun thinks a helping of Egusi soup, a Nigerian staple, might just hit the spot.
Space in Africa, the Lagos-based firm Oniosun founded, is expecting its Egusi melon seeds to splash down in the Pacific Ocean Saturday — fresh from a trip to the International Space Station.
Once Earthside, experiments will begin on what is being hailed as the first food native to West Africa to be sent to space.
As Oniosun told AFP on Friday, it could herald an era where space exploration reflects the planet’s diversity.
“When we talk about humans colonising other planets, this is not just an American mission or a European mission — this is a global mission,” he told AFP.
And future African space explorers might enjoy a taste of home.
Experiments on extraterrestrial food, which is to say, tested in space, have been going on for years.
Growing food in space is seen as a crucial part of long-distance space flight and long-term missions, where frequent resupply won’t be feasible.
– International tests –
Scientists at the University of Florida in the United States and the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture, in the southwestern Nigerian city of Ibadan, will examine the seeds “to see the effects of exposure to space” and zero gravity, including on the seeds’ DNA.
Once planted, researchers will monitor their post-space performance and germination.
The seeds went up to the ISS on a SpaceX Flight last week, as part of NASA’s partnership with private firms.
Oniosun said the inclusion of Egusi seeds marked an important step forward, both for those on Earth as well as future astronauts.
High in protein, they are typically used to prepare soups and stews across West and Central Africa.
Africa’s most populous country has a small space industry, but the launch of the seeds seemed to generate more excitement on social media and in newspapers than previous launches of Nigerian satellites, he said.
“The moment that we’re sending food that they love, a food that holds significant cultural contexts to Nigeria… everybody starts getting interested in the subject,” Oniosun told AFP.
“The launch of Egusi melon seeds into space is more than a symbolic gesture,” he added.
“The future of humanity among the stars must reflect the diversity and richness of life on Earth.”
Whether pounded yams — the key dish served alongside Egusi soup — will make its way to the final frontier remains to be seen.
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The late Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Owolabi Olakulehin, was on Friday laid to rest amid funfair at the St Peter’s Cathedral Church, Aremo, in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital.
Governor Seyi Makinde, the Chief of Army Staff, Lt Gen Olufemi Oluyede (represented by the General Officer Commanding 2 Mechanised Division, Maj Gen Obina Onubogwu), and other notable Nigerians paid glowing tributes to the 43rd Olubadan, who joined his ancestors on Monday, July 7, 2025.
The late monarch, who retired as a Major in the Nigerian Army, was accorded full military honours, including the presentation of the Nigerian flag and ceremonial gun salutes to mark his final departure.
In his sermon, the Archbishop of Ibadan Province and Bishop of Ibadan North Diocese, Most Rev’d Williams Aladekugbe, urged all mortals to be mindful of the lives they live.
Quoting copiously from 2 Corinthians 5:10, the cleric said, “Let us be careful about the lives we live, and be wary of judging others, especially when you don’t have all the facts. Take heed that you don’t spend your today in a way that may ruin your tomorrow. Remember that all of us will give account to our Creator.”
He, however, criticised politicians seeking a single term in the 2027 elections, describing the move as a scam.
Aladekugbe, who described such aspirants as desperate politicians, lamented that some were already focused on 2027 while hardship in the country persisted.
“Any politician bargaining for only one single term is showing desperation — and it will not work in Nigeria.
“It is also desperation when leaders are seen carrying plates and serving food at parties. All of these will never work”, he said.
He expressed concern that while the government claimed to have stabilised the economy, increases in telecommunications tariffs at a time of skyrocketing prices and deepening poverty signalled insensitivity and a disconnect from the masses.
“To talk about 2027 now is a disgrace to governance. It’s an abuse of the people’s mandate and a reckless disregard for the concerns of the people,” he added.
Aladekugbe urged elected officials to focus on governance, security, and the welfare of citizens rather than political intrigues.
He lamented that insecurity had worsened, with lives being lost daily to banditry, herdsmen attacks, and other violent crimes, calling on President Bola Tinubu’s administration to “rise to the occasion and stop the killings.”
The cleric described the late Olubadan as “a leader of grace with a heart full of compassion,” adding that during his reign, Ibadanland enjoyed peaceful coexistence, unprecedented development, and transformation of its traditional institutions.
Also in attendance were the Oyo State Deputy Governor, Bayo Lawal; former Deputy Governor, Ahmed Gbadamosi; former Minister of Steel and Power, Wole Oyelese; Deputy National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (South), Taofeek Arapaja; members of the Olubadan-in-Council led by the Balogun of Ibadanland, Oba Tajudeen Ajibola; the Central Council of Ibadan Indigenes led by President-General, Chief Ajeniyi Ajewole; Mogajis (family heads); Baales; military personnel; and operatives of the Western Nigeria Security Network (Amotekun), among others.
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The Nigerian Air Force, under Operation Hadin Kai, on Friday foiled a terrorist attack on troops in Rann, Borno State, through coordinated intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, and air interdiction missions.
According to the Director of Public Relations and Information, Air Commodore Ehimen Ejodame, in a statement on Friday, the operation was carried out in the early hours of August 8, following credible intelligence.
He said the air component established contact with ground forces, identified clusters of fleeing insurgents, and engaged them with precision munitions, neutralising several.
Ejodame added that the swift response restored calm to the area, reaffirming the force’s commitment to providing close air support, safeguarding troops, and rapidly neutralising insurgent threats.
The statement read, ”In the early hours of 8 August 2025, the Nigerian Air Force, under Operation Hadin Kai, successfully foiled a terrorist assault on troops in Rann, Borno State, through coordinated Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance and Air Interdiction missions.
“Acting on credible intelligence, the OPHK Air Component established contact with ground forces, identified clusters of fleeing insurgents, and engaged them with precision munitions, neutralising several in the process.
“The swift and decisive action restored calm to the area, underscoring the NAF’s unwavering commitment to providing close air support, safeguarding troops, and rapidly neutralising insurgent threats.”
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