Former Edo State Governor and serving Senator, Adams Oshiomhole, has openly accused Air Peace of deliberately exploiting passengers at the Murtala Muhammed Airport Terminal 1 (Zulu Hall), sparking a heated confrontation on Wednesday morning.
The incident, which drew public attention after a video surfaced showing Oshiomhole blocking access to the terminal, occurred after he was denied boarding a 6:30 a.m. flight despite arriving at 6:20 a.m. with proof of online check-in.
Air Peace has since condemned the act in a statement titled, “Unruly Conduct by Prominent Politician at Lagos Airport: Air Peace Reaffirms Zero Tolerance for Violence.”
However, in an exclusive interview with Vanguard, the former Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) president painted a different picture alleging that the airline deliberately shut out passengers who booked tickets in advance to resell the seats at inflated prices ranging between ₦200,000 and ₦300,000.
“I got there at about five minutes past six. They told me the counter was closed. I told them, ‘No, I’ve already checked in.’ I showed them the evidence. Meanwhile, they were still taking other people in,” Oshiomhole said.
He cited a specific case involving a woman with an infant who purchased a ₦146,000 ticket online and arrived before 6:00 a.m. but was denied boarding and told to buy a new ticket for ₦109,100 to board the next flight.
“They refused to board her, claiming the flight was full yet they were still selling tickets at the counter. It was clear they were bumping pre-booked passengers to resell tickets at higher prices.”
Oshiomhole decried what he described as rampant commercial extortion and systemic regulatory failure, noting that he had experienced multiple delays and cancellations from the airline in the past.
“You cannot board people buying tickets on the spot and deny those who booked days ago or checked in online. Regulatory agencies are compromising, and the people are suffering.”
He revealed that several passengers were stranded under similar circumstances and that he eventually had to send ₦500,000 to help the woman and others rebook their flights.
Despite criticism from the airline, Oshiomhole defended his stance and presence at the terminal, saying:
“Even when an officer offered me access to a lounge, people around said, ‘Comrade, please don’t leave this is how they’ve been treating us.’”
The incident has triggered fresh public scrutiny of airline practices in Nigeria, with renewed calls for greater consumer protection, accountability, and enforcement by aviation regulatory bodies.