KWAM 1, the prominent Lagos fuji musician was alleged to have a role to play in the stopping of South East and South South voters from casting their ballot at the 2023 gubernatorial and House of Assembly elections in Lagos.
A lot of reported allegations swirled around him as allegedly unleashing ferocious dogs and hired muscles to enforce his bidding in the Okota District of Lagos. These were not investigates to determine his culpability or exoneration as was the case with all such reported breaches in those elections.
Now, he is involved in another theatre – an attempt at BLOCKING A CIVIL AIRPLANE from flying. The attempt went far, from what we see in the video clip online and would have endangered his life, lives of passengers and crew on board, the safety of the aircraft, and security rating of our aviation system.
Every aviation business is international business because it affects the whole world.
It’s possible there were foreign nationals as passengers or crew on board that aircraft. Imagine a situation where the passengers got into high risks to their lives and maybe diplomats are involved, the man’s indiscretion would have put Nigeria in a very serious and multiple diplomatic row and mess.
But many are surprised that that act which vwry likely borders on the crime of terrorism on a civil aircraft defined and punishable under the:
*Tokyo Convention (1969)
*The Hague Convention (1971)
*Montreal Convention (1971) just ended with a pat on the wrist treatment that Kwam 1 is banned from flying for just 6 months.
But for this man’s connections with the powers that be who he worked in their interest to forcefully engage in acts that denied Nigerian citizens their constitutional rights as alleged, I reasonably think he should have been detained by now and awaiting trial for that act.
“Terrorist attacks on civil aviation are deemed so if intended to:
*Cause mass casualties and inflict economic damage.
*Disrupt transportation and communication networks.
*Send a message to governments or specific groups.
*Gain publicity and attention for their cause.”
Kwam 1’s act falls within these windows of definition.
So why is he not in detention, and just punished by stopping him from flying for just 6 months? What if he had no need to fly within that space of time, and how often does he fly in a year?
If this is all the Aviation Minister can do about that breach, then Kwam 1 was just asked to walk away free.
This breach needs deeper probing, exhaustive investigation and adequate punishment for whoever is found to have caused a punishable breach. This includes the NCAA, the Abuja airport managers, the handlers of the flight, and of course, KWAM 1 himself.
None should be treated as being above the law.
