Senator Adams Oshiomhole, former Governor of Edo State and ex-president of the Nigeria Labour Congress, has addressed claims made by Air Peace regarding an incident at Murtala Muhammed Airport on Wednesday morning. Speaking in an interview with Vanguard, Oshiomhole offered a detailed account disputing the airline’s version of events.
Air Peace had earlier alleged that Oshiomhole clashed with its staff and disrupted operations after missing his flight. In response, the senator said the situation was quite the opposite, accusing the airline of poor service and mistreating passengers.
According to him, “I booked a flight with Air Peace, and after a five-hour delay, they eventually cancelled it. I had to purchase another ticket. For today’s 6:30 a.m. flight, I completed my online check-in, as did two Ghanaians traveling with me. We did this to avoid issues at the airport.”
He arrived at the terminal shortly after 6:00 a.m., only to be told that boarding had closed. “I showed proof that I had checked in online and had no luggage,” he said. “Yet, they insisted the gate was closed—even though I saw them still allowing others through.”
He questioned the logic of closing boarding so early: “How do you close boarding at 6:05 for a 6:30 flight? What’s the point of online check-in if it doesn’t guarantee boarding?”
Oshiomhole said he wasn’t alone in the experience, noting that several other passengers who had arrived early and checked in online were also denied boarding. “Meanwhile, tickets were being sold on the spot at inflated prices—ranging from N200,000 to N300,000—while those who had already paid were left stranded,” he said.
He shared the case of a woman with a six-month-old baby who had bought a ticket for N146,000 and arrived at the airport before 6:00 a.m. Despite this, she was told the flight was full. “They offered to put her on the next flight—if she paid an additional N109,100. That’s over N250,000 for a one-hour trip to Abuja.”
According to Oshiomhole, security personnel, including DSS and Air Force officers, intervened after witnessing the growing frustration among passengers. “I confronted the airline staff and demanded they follow the rules. The whole scene became chaotic. Many of us were stranded simply because we had paid earlier, while others who arrived later were being boarded after buying tickets at higher rates.”
He said he stayed back in solidarity with the passengers, despite being offered a private lounge. “People urged me to stay. They said this was a regular occurrence. I eventually gave the woman N500,000 to help cover her unexpected expenses.”
In closing, Oshiomhole insisted: “What happened was not a disruption on my part, but a reflection of the airline’s disregard for customer service and due process. I followed the rules, checked in online, and arrived early. Denying boarding while selling tickets on the spot is unacceptable.”
