The inconsistent sanctions against individuals involved in the scuffle at Abuja Airport on 5 August are currently the focus of social media. Four days later, significant anger persists over the incident at Nnamdi Azikiwe Airport, Abuja, where Fuji musician Wasiu Ayinde Marshall blocked an aircraft.
Aviation Minister Festus Keyamo announced a six-month no-fly restriction on the artist. He confirmed the suspension of two airline officials.
However, citizens believe it is unfair to allow KWAM-1 to go without proper sanctions in the books. Gbemiga Ogunleye, a lawyer and former editor of The PUNCH, in a Facebook post, cited the Criminal Code and called on the government to implement it.
Ogunleye stated: “OBSTRUCTING AN AIRCRAFT!
– *Criminal Code Provision*: According to Section 459A of the Criminal Code Act in Nigeria, anyone who obstructs, causes an alteration in the course of, or hinders the movement of an aircraft in motion on or in flight over an aerodrome through an unlawful act is guilty of a misdemeanour. The punishment for this offence is imprisonment for two years.’
On August 5, 2025, renowned Fuji musician Wasiu Ayinde Marshal (KWAM 1) was involved in a significant incident at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja involving ValueJet Airlines. The situation arose when KWAM 1 attempted to board a ValueJet flight with a flask containing a liquid. Aviation security and flight attendants suspected it was alcohol, which is prohibited on flights in Nigeria, and asked him to surrender the flask. KWAM 1 insisted the flask contained prescribed medication or, according to his media aides, simply plain drinking water he received in the airport lounge. The disagreement escalated into a confrontation during boarding.
KWAM 1 was later asked to leave the aircraft. After disembarking, he stood in front of the plane, physically blocking it from taxiing for takeoff, even as the pilot tried to manoeuvre the aircraft. This obstruction breached aviation safety protocol and caused a delay. Video footage showed KWAM 1 standing and moving in front of the plane’s nose, with airport officials trying to persuade him to step back.
Aviation authorities widely condemned the incident. Nigeria’s Minister of Aviation, Festus Keyamo, described KWAM 1’s actions as “totally unacceptable” and akin to a hostage situation, emphasising that blocking an aircraft from taxiing breaches safety regulations. Consequently, the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) placed KWAM 1 on a no-fly list pending investigation.
Additionally, two ValueJet pilots involved in the incident were suspended by the NCAA for starting taxi procedures without ensuring the safe removal of the unruly passenger (KWAM 1), which also broke aviation protocols.
KWAM 1, through his media aide, denied misconduct allegations, saying the claims were exaggerated and misleading. He insisted he posed no danger or safety risk, and the substance in his flask was simply water. He also denied blocking or deliberately disrupting the aircraft’s operations. Despite his protests, the authorities upheld their position on the breach of protocol.
ValueJet Airlines also suspended the pilots involved and launched an internal review. Meanwhile, both the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) and NCAA initiated investigations into the events to establish the full circumstances and prevent future incidents.
Social media plays a more active role in Nigerian politics
• The increasing influence of social media on Nigerian politics was emphasised, particularly in the context of the upcoming 2027 general election. Platforms such as Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok have become key battlegrounds for political narratives, activism, and campaigning.
• Concerns were raised about the rise of disinformation, fake news, coordinated smear campaigns, and the growing influence of political influencers and state-sponsored trolls. The government has acknowledged social media’s power in shaping public opinion and political outcomes, urging increased digital literacy and regulation to safeguard democracy without compromising freedom.
• Nigerian social media in early August 2025 is characterised by its growing political significance, regulatory conflicts, especially involving Meta, challenges around misinformation and digital literacy, pressures on education quality, and government efforts to harness and regulate digital platforms for national development and security purposes. The situation underscores the complexity of balancing social media’s benefits with its potential risks in Nigeria’s evolving digital landscape.
Behind Meta’s threat to withdraw Facebook and Instagram
Meta (Facebook and Instagram) remains embroiled in a major dispute with Nigerian regulators over hefty fines totalling almost $300 million related to data privacy and compliance laws.
Meta has threatened to shut down Facebook and Instagram in Nigeria if the penalties and regulatory demands remain unresolved, which could affect millions of Nigerian users and businesses that depend on these platforms.
Nigeria sanctioned Meta (the parent company of Facebook and Instagram) due to multiple serious violations of local consumer protection, data privacy, and advertising regulations. The key reasons include:
• Meta was found to have engaged in unauthorised sharing of Nigerian users’ data without their consent, violating Nigeria’s data protection laws.
• The company was accused of abusive market dominance by imposing exploitative privacy policies on users, including denying them control over their data and not providing options to withhold consent or manage how their data is used.
• Meta engaged in discriminatory practices against Nigerian users compared to other jurisdictions.
• The Advertising Regulatory Council of Nigeria fined Meta for unauthorised advertising content on its platforms.
• The Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC), the Nigerian Data Protection Commission (NDPC), and the Advertising Regulatory Council collectively imposed fines totalling nearly $290 million against Meta.
• The regulator’s demands required Meta to seek explicit approval from users and regulators for cross-border data transfers outside Nigeria, a requirement Meta described as impractical.
• Meta’s legal appeals against these fines were dismissed by a Nigerian federal court, which upheld the sanctions and ordered compliance by the end of June 2025.
Due to these cumulative sanctions and regulatory demands, Meta threatened to suspend the operations of Facebook and Instagram in Nigeria, citing the fines and onerous data protection compliance as “unrealistic.” This standoff highlights Nigeria’s assertive approach to enforcing data sovereignty and consumer rights against global tech giants.
Concern grows over social media’s effect on education
• There is widespread concern about the negative impact of social media on education, especially due to the spread of informal language, slang, and poor grammar on platforms like TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp. This trend is associated with declining English language performance among Nigerian students, as reflected in recent WAEC exam results, highlighting social media’s influence on youth literacy and academic standards.
Only 38% of candidates obtained credit passes in five core subjects, including English Language and Mathematics, In the 2025 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) for Nigeria.
English Language and Mathematics are crucial benchmarks for university and polytechnic admissions. This indicates a notable decline in performance compared to previous years, constituting one of the poorest results in over a decade, with a 33.8% decrease compared to 2024 performance levels.
Key points about the English and Mathematics performance in the 2025 WASSCE include:
• Mass failure in English and Mathematics: These critical subjects recorded some of the lowest pass rates in recent years, reflecting fundamental challenges in literacy and numeracy skills among students.
• The results indicate deep-rooted problems tied to teaching quality and learning outcomes in both public and private schools, although private schools generally performed better.
• WAEC discovered technical glitches related to new anti-exam malpractice measures (paper serialisation) deployed in subjects including English and Mathematics, which led to a temporary suspension of result checking pending review and corrections.
• Approximately 1.6 million students sat for the exam, with 9.75% of candidates’ results withheld due to examination malpractice investigations.
• Female candidates generally performed slightly better than males, particularly in English language-related subjects.
The Federal Ministry of Education and WAEC are currently reviewing the results to address technical errors and improve the accuracy of the outcomes, with updated results expected shortly.
