Senator Adams Oshiomhole, representing Edo North, has accused Nigerian airline AirPeace of unethical behavior after a dramatic scene unfolded at the Abuja airport last week, drawing widespread attention on social media and beyond.
Speaking out on Channels TV live, Oshiomhole explained that the confrontation arose when AirPeace personnel allegedly barred him and other passengers from boarding a flight, despite having already checked in via the airline’s mobile app.
According to the former Edo State Governor, the airline’s gate agents refused to honour digital check-ins and insisted passengers pay exorbitant fees to board flights they had already paid for.
“In fact, a woman who had paid ₦146,000 for her ticket was asked to pay an additional ₦109,000 to fly, despite having already checked in online,” Oshiomhole disclosed.
The senator further alleged that once the AirPeace staff recognized him as a government official, they attempted to isolate him from the other affected passengers by offering him special treatment—a gesture he refused.
“Contrary to rumours making round in the public domain that his security personnel blocked the entrance and disrupting the activities of the airline, the senator revealed that he came to the section of the airport alone”.
“They called the manager who offered to help me alone while leaving the rest of the passengers stranded,” he said. “But I told them I couldn’t accept that kind of shady offer. I have my integrity.”
Oshiomhole said many of the stranded passengers pleaded with him not to abandon them, prompting him to speak up on their behalf.
He accused the airline of misleading the public in its statement regarding the incident, stating that AirPeace failed to admit the underhanded treatment and attempted compromise.
The senator also used the opportunity to criticize the airline’s punctuality, saying he had previously stopped flying with them due to their repeated delays and poor service ethics.
“AirPeace doesn’t keep to time. That’s one of the reasons I stopped flying with them,” he said.
The incident has sparked public debate around passenger rights, airline accountability, and the need for greater regulation in Nigeria’s aviation sector. Neither AirPeace nor the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has released an official follow-up statement as of the time of this report.
