From Staff Writer
Senator Adams Oshiomhole has denied claims by Air Peace that he disrupted operations at a Nigerian airport, instead accusing the airline of systemic extortion and mistreatment of passengers, including women and children.
The former Edo State Governor and current senator representing Edo North addressed journalists in Abuja on Wednesday, responding to allegations that he caused a scene after missing a scheduled flight.
Air Peace had earlier alleged that Oshiomhole disrupted airport operations after arriving late for Flight P47120, which was scheduled to depart for Abuja at 6:30 a.m.
But the senator insisted he was a victim of arbitrary and exploitative policies, not a perpetrator of disorder. He presented documents and videos to support his claims, saying he arrived at the airport 40 minutes before a scheduled 6:50 p.m. flight but was denied a boarding pass despite meeting the airline’s 30-minute check-in deadline.
“Yesterday, I got to the airport 40 minutes ahead. My luggage was already checked in. But they told me they had stopped issuing boarding passes,” he said. “Meanwhile, I saw others arriving after me who were allowed to board.”
He added that while his aide, holding a similar business class ticket, was allowed to board, he was turned away. As a result, he incurred a hotel bill of ₦1.5 million for himself and two stranded Ghanaian passengers.
On attempting to board an early morning flight the next day, Oshiomhole said he arrived before 6:00 a.m. for the 6:30 a.m. flight, having completed online check-in the night before. Despite this, he was again denied boarding, alongside other passengers allegedly affected by an unannounced change in check-in policy — from 30 to 45 minutes before departure.
“I showed them evidence of my online check-in,” he said. “But they still claimed the gate was closed. Meanwhile, other passengers were being let in and tickets were being sold at inflated prices.”
The senator alleged that Air Peace was deliberately sidelining passengers who had purchased cheaper online tickets in favour of last-minute buyers willing to pay more — in some cases as much as ₦250,000 for a one-hour flight. One woman, he noted, who arrived at 5:55 a.m. for the same flight, was denied boarding despite holding a ₦146,000 ticket, while the airline continued to sell new tickets at much higher rates.
“That is not policy enforcement. It is extortion,” Oshiomhole declared.
He firmly denied causing a disturbance, saying he only intervened when stranded passengers, including women with babies, began to protest their treatment.
“I didn’t disrupt anything. I simply refused to accept preferential treatment. They offered to ‘sort me out’ once they recognised me. I said no. I want my rights respected like every other Nigerian,” he said.
Oshiomhole condemned what he described as a “VIP culture of impunity,” where powerful individuals receive exceptions while ordinary Nigerians are ignored or exploited.
“The real problem is that big men get ‘sorted’, and the rest are left to suffer. If speaking up makes me a troublemaker, then I will be one forever,” he said.
The senator called out regulatory agencies, including the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), for failing in their oversight duties and urged the federal government to take immediate action.
“How can airlines profit from their own inefficiency? This is ruthless, primitive capitalism. Nigerians are unprotected, and the government must act,” he warned.
Citing the rising public frustration and disillusionment, he concluded, “When people lose hope, even bullets won’t stop them. The least a government can do is protect its citizens from exploitation.”
Efforts to get further comment from Air Peace at press time were unsuccessful.
