Nigeria, Aug. 17 -- Nigeria's airports are meant to be gateways of order - passports stamped, boarding passes scanned, safety rules obeyed. Yet this August, they became arenas of public drama, exposing how fame, gender, and perception tilt the scales of justice. Two incidents - one involving Fuji legend, Wasiu Ayinde Marshal (KWAM 1), the other a regular passenger, Comfort Emmanson - were different in detail but similar in lesson.

On 5 August, at Abuja's Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, KWAM 1 tried to board a ValueJet flight to Lagos carrying a gold flask. Crew suspected it held alcohol; he insisted it was water for a medical condition. Tempers flared. He allegedly splashed the contents on a crew member, then strode onto the tarmac...