•Oshiomhole
Senator Adams Oshiomhole has dismissed as untrue allegations by Air Peace that he disrupted airport operations, claiming instead that he exposed what he described as widespread extortion, arbitrary treatment of passengers, and regulatory failure in Nigeria’s aviation sector.
Speaking at a press briefing in Abuja yesterday, the former Edo State governor detailed a series of frustrating encounters with Air Peace, which he said reflected a deeper crisis of customer abuse in the country’s airline industry.
The controversy began after Air Peace accused the senator of arriving late for a 6:30 a.m Abuja-bound flight (P47120) and allegedly attempting to force his way onboard, leading to delays, reports The Guardian.
But Oshiomhole offered a different version, saying he was denied boarding despite arriving well before departure and checking in online the night before.
“I got to the airport at 6:05 a.m. for a 6:30 flight. I had checked in online the night before at 7:46 p.m., had no luggage, and still, they claimed boarding was closed. Meanwhile, they were letting others board —and selling tickets on the spot for nearly double the price,” he alleged.
He cited multiple instances where passengers who purchased tickets online for around ₦146,000 were turned away under the pretext of lateness, only to see walk-in passengers being allowed to board after purchasing tickets for ₦250,000.
“This isn’t enforcement of policy — it’s organised extortion,” Oshiomhole said, accusing the airline of systematically denying boarding to early-paying customers in favour of last-minute, higher-paying ones.
Oshiomhole, who displayed receipts, video clips, and testimonies of affected passengers, said he refused preferential treatment when airline staff recognised him and offered to “sort him out.”
“I told them, don’t treat me differently — treat me like every other Nigerian. That’s the problem in this country. The so-called big men get access, while the ordinary people are ignored,” he said.
He also described how he ended up spending ₦1.5 million on hotel accommodation for himself and two Ghanaian passengers who were also stranded.
On a subsequent attempt to board a morning flight, he claimed similar irregularities occurred, including a sudden and unexplained change in check-in cutoff time from 30 to 45 minutes.
A visibly frustrated Oshiomhole recounted how a young mother with a six-month-old baby was denied boarding despite arriving before the cutoff time and being told she would have to pay ₦109,100 extra for the next available flight.
“This woman had already paid ₦146,000. Why punish her for your inefficiency?” he asked, revealing he eventually gave her ₦500,000 to cover her costs.
Oshiomhole denied ever causing a disruption, saying the rowdiness at the airport was the result of growing passenger anger, not his actions.
“People were protesting —not because I told them to, but because they were being robbed in broad daylight.”
He criticised the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) and other regulators for what he described as a complete failure to protect consumers, calling on the federal government to urgently investigate the matter.
“This is ruthless, primitive capitalism,” he declared. “When people lose faith in the system, even bullets won’t stop them. The least a government can do is protect its citizens from exploitation.”
Oshiomhole’s remarks have sparked renewed calls for greater oversight and reform in Nigeria’s aviation sector, which has faced mounting criticism over arbitrary practices, poor customer service, and a lack of accountability.
