Oshiomhole denies disrupting Air peace operations, accuses Airline of extortion

Oshiomhole denies disrupting Air Peace operations, accuses Airline of extortion

By Ndukaku Ihe

Senator representing Edo North, Adams Oshiomhole has denied allegations by Air Peace that he disrupted airport operations after missing a flight even as he accused the airline of extortion and systemic abuse of passenger rights.

Air Peace had alleged in a statement that Oshiomhole arrived late for Flight P47120 from Lagos to Abuja, scheduled for 6:30 a.m., and subsequently disrupted their operations.

But addressing journalists in Abuja on Wednesday, the senator representing Edo North described the airline’s claim as false and an attempt to divert attention from what he termed “a culture of impunity and extortion” in Nigeria’s aviation sector.

“I did not disrupt anything,” Oshiomhole said. “What I did was insist on being treated like every other Nigerian and reject a VIP offer to bypass the system. They offered to ‘help’ me when they realised who I was, but I told them, ‘Don’t help me. Enforce my rights the same way you should for every Nigerian.’”

The former Edo State Governor said his ordeal began on Tuesday when he arrived at the Lagos airport at 6:10 p.m. for a 6:50 p.m. but was denied boarding despite arriving within the airline’s 30-minute check-in deadline.

“I got to the airport 40 minutes before departure,” he explained. “My luggage had been checked in, but they told me they had stopped issuing boarding passes. Meanwhile, I saw other people arriving after me who were allowed to board.”

Oshiomhole said he had booked business class tickets for himself and an aide. While the aide was allowed to board, he was turned back. He said the arbitrary enforcement of airline rules forced him to spend N1.5 million on hotel accommodation for himself and two stranded Ghanaian passengers.

The following morning, he attempted to fly with Air Peace. “I got to the airport before 6:00 a.m. for a 6:30 a.m. flight, having checked in online at 9:00 p.m. the previous night,” he said. “Still, they told me the counter was closed. I showed them my online check-in confirmation, and they admitted I had no luggage. Yet, they said the gate had been closed—even though people were still being allowed to board.”

He continued, “How do you close boarding for a 6:30 flight at 6:05? What then is the purpose of online check-in?”

Oshiomhole accused the airline of manipulating policies to sell tickets at inflated prices. He cited a case involving a female passenger with an infant.

“She bought her ticket for N146,000 and arrived at the airport by 5:55 a.m., but was told she was late,” he said. “They then told her the flight was full and that she would have to wait. Meanwhile, they were selling on-the-spot tickets for N250,000. That’s not enforcement of rules—that’s extortion.”

According to the senator, the woman was eventually asked to pay N109,100 to board the next flight, bringing her total expense to over N250,000 for a one-hour flight to Abuja.

“I asked them, ‘What is her offence? She’s here on time, with a baby. Why deny her boarding while selling tickets at double the price to others?’ That’s exploitation,” he said.

Oshiomhole maintained that he remained calm throughout the incident, only stepping in when other passengers began protesting.

“I refused to be treated as a special case,” he said. “People around me begged me not to leave when I was offered access to a VIP lounge. They said, ‘Comrade, please stay. This is how they’ve been treating us.’ So, I stayed with them.”

He said he eventually transferred N500,000 to the woman with the baby to help her buy a ticket and accommodate herself, a gesture that, he said, was borne out of compassion and frustration.

Oshiomhole criticised regulatory agencies for failing to protect consumers, stating: “How can you profit from your own inefficiency? This is ruthless, primitive capitalism. The government must act.”

He warned that unchecked exploitation by airlines could provoke deeper unrest in the country.

“When people lose hope, even bullets won’t stop them,” he said, adding, “the least a government can do is to protect its citizens from exploitation.”

Calling on the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) to investigate, the senator said, “This is not just about me. It’s about a system that punishes ordinary Nigerians while favouring the powerful. If speaking out makes me a troublemaker, then I’ll continue to cause trouble for justice’s sake.”