Senator representing Edo North and former Governor of Edo State, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, has strongly criticised domestic airline, Air Peace, over what he described as the airline’s deliberate exploitation of passengers at the Murtala Muhammed Airport Terminal 1, Zulu Hall, on Wednesday morning.
The drama, which unfolded at the Lagos domestic terminal, was triggered by what Oshiomhole termed as “a clear case of commercial exploitation,” after passengers, including himself, were denied boarding despite having checked in online for the airline’s early morning flight to Abuja.
In an exclusive interview with Vanguard, the former Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) President explained that he had booked a 6:30 a.m. flight and completed his online check-in, yet was told at the terminal that boarding had closed when he arrived at 6:05 a.m.
“They told me the counter was closed. I told them, ‘No, I’ve already checked in.’ I showed them my online check-in confirmation. But they insisted boarding had ended, while I observed them still allowing others to board. Meanwhile, the plane was still on the tarmac,” he recounted.
According to him, the chaotic situation was not unique to him. He said dozens of other passengers who had checked in on time were also barred from boarding, only to witness tickets being resold at inflated prices to new buyers.
Oshiomhole alleged that the airline was deliberately turning away passengers who had booked earlier at lower prices, in order to sell the same seats for amounts between ₦200,000 and ₦300,000.
He cited the case of a woman who bought her ticket for ₦146,000, arrived at 5:55 a.m., but was told she had missed her flight and would need to purchase a new ticket for ₦109,100 to board the next one.
“How can you treat a woman with a baby that way?” Oshiomhole queried. “She had done everything right—checked in on time and arrived before 6 a.m. But they told her to pay again. This is unjust and unacceptable.”
The incident, which sparked heated exchanges between irate passengers and airport staff, caught the attention of security operatives, including personnel from the Department of State Services (DSS) and the Nigerian Air Force, who intervened to restore order.
READ ALSO: Oshiomhole’s Airport Outburst Disrupts Flights, Air Peace Responds
Oshiomhole, who appeared visibly frustrated in a viral video of the incident, said he stayed behind in solidarity with the affected passengers.
“People begged me not to go into the lounge, saying, ‘Comrade, don’t leave us, this is what we suffer all the time,’” he revealed. “I had to send that woman ₦500,000 to sort out her flight issues. That’s how bad it was.”
He called for urgent intervention by regulatory bodies to check the excesses of domestic airlines, accusing relevant authorities of compromising their responsibilities.
“This is how airlines shift the blame to the government when they’re the ones sabotaging the system. Regulatory agencies must wake up to their responsibilities,” he warned.
Meanwhile, in a swift response, Air Peace reportedly claimed a “prominent senator” had disrupted their operations, but did not directly address the allegations of ticket reselling or unfair boarding denial.
The incident has reignited public calls for increased accountability and passenger protection in Nigeria’s aviation sector, especially amid growing complaints about flight delays, cancellations, and arbitrary fare hikes.