Ike Nnachi, Abakaliki
Former Edo State Governor and SenatorrepresentingEdo North, Adams Oshiomhole, and Aviation Transport giant, Air Peace, have continued to trade words over the Wednesday flight disruption incident.
Mr Oshiomhole had allegedly disrupted flight operations after missing his flight which the airline attributed to his late coming.
The airline in a statement on Wednesday accused Oshiomhole of allegedly disrupting airport operations after missing a scheduled flight.
Air Peace alleged that Oshiomole had reportedly arrived late for Flight P47120, which was scheduled to depart for Abuja at 6:30 a.m.
The situation has generated interest in the media with some calling for Mr Oshiomhole’s arrest and prosecution.
But others have disagreed instead calling for Air Peace to be sanctioned for sharp practices like ticket racketeering.
‘I was fighting against extortion’ – Oshiomhole
But Mr Oshiomhole in a statement he issued denied allegations of disrupting Air Peace operations claiming instead that he rejected preferential treatment.
He further alleged that he stood up against what he described as systemic extortion and poor customer service by airline operators in the country.
The senator said his recent experiences with Air Peace highlighted the growing impunity and disregard for passengers’ rights in the country’s aviation sector.
Presenting documented evidence and videos, Oshiomhole said on Tuesday, he arrived at the airport at 6:10 p.m. for a 6:50 p.m. flight but was denied a boarding pass, even though he had met the airline’s check-in deadline of 30 minutes before departure.
“Yesterday, I got to the airport 40 minutes ahead. My luggage was already checked in. But they told me they had stopped issuing boarding passes. Meanwhile, I saw others arriving after me who were allowed to board,” he said.
Despite holding business class tickets for himself and an aide, who he said was allowed to board, Oshiomhole was turned back.
He lamented the arbitrary application of airline policies, which he said left him with a hotel bill of N1.5 million to accommodate himself and two stranded Ghanaian passengers.
In his bid to fly with Air Peace the next morning, Oshiomhole said he “arrived before 6:00 a.m. for a 6:30 a.m. flight, having checked in online by 7. 46pm, the previous night.”
He said he was again denied boarding, alongside other passengers who were confused by a last-minute change in check-in policy from 30 to 45 minutes before departure.
He explained, “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 of my online check-in.
“Even before then, they had asked if I had checked in, and I told them yes, and that I had no luggage. They looked at it but still said the gate had been closed.
“Meanwhile, I noticed they were still taking other people in. So I asked, ‘How can you close boarding for a 6:30 flight at 6:05? What is the purpose of online check-in, then?’ If I had to go through another check-in process, then what’s the point of checking in online?”
He added, “While speaking to them, I saw many men and women who had been there even before me, with similar experiences. Basically, they were selling tickets on the spot at higher prices.
“I’ll give you an example. A lady bought her ticket for N146,000 online. She arrived at the airport at 5:55 a.m. for the 6:30 a.m. flight, after the gatemen had delayed her.
“They told her she was late and that the counter had closed for check-in. She said that was impossible, as it wasn’t even 6:00 a.m. They told her she would be put on the next flight. She protested, saying, ‘Why? Put me on this flight.’ But they told her the flight was full and she would have to wait.
“Meanwhile, the airline was selling tickets on the spot for N250,000. To take advantage of the situation, they discouraged those who had bought tickets online at lower rates and sold to people willing to pay more.
“I was told the counter had closed. But people were still being allowed to buy new tickets at higher prices. Those of us who had booked online for N146,000 were told we were late, while they sold new tickets for N250,000. That is not policy enforcement, it is extortion.”
Dismissing claims that he caused a disruption, Oshiomhole said he remained calm but firm, and only intervened when a crowd of stranded passengers, including women with babies, began to protest.
He stated, “I didn’t disrupt anything. I refused to let them ‘sort me out’ while others were left stranded. They offered to help me once they recognised me. I said, don’t help me, enforce my rights like every other Nigerian.”
The senator criticised what he called the “VIP culture of impunity,” where influential people are offered personalised solutions while ordinary citizens suffer.
He said, “That’s the real problem, big men get sorted, and the rest of Nigerians are ignored. If speaking out makes me a troublemaker, then I’ll cause trouble forever.”
Oshiomhole spoke more, “I asked the manager, ‘What is this woman’s crime? She has a baby that’s no more than six months old.
“How can you refuse to board her when the aircraft is still on the ground and more people are buying tickets?’ You cannot continue like this. Tomorrow, everyone will blame the government.
“You have regulatory agencies, and they are all compromising. You cannot board people buying tickets on the spot and deny those who booked days ago or checked in online.”
“By the time the DSS and Air Force personnel came to find out what happened, they intervened and offered to put the woman on the next flight, the same offer they had made to me earlier. But to board that next flight, they told her she would have to pay N109,100. This was in addition to the original N146,000 ticket, meaning she would spend about N256,000 for a one-hour flight to Abuja. There were many others in the same situation, and everyone was shouting at the airport.
“I said to the manager, ‘You must follow the rules.’ Many people were stranded, except those who could afford another ticket. I followed the woman to the counter and told her to do whatever they asked. Those of us who were also prevented from flying gathered there. 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.’
“I had to send that woman N500,000. That’s basically what happened. I told them this cannot be allowed. I checked in online and arrived on time. The aircraft hadn’t taken off. I’m not supposed to check in twice. The rowdiness arose because many people were denied boarding while tickets were being sold on the spot to others.”
The former governor questioned the oversight role of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) and called on the Federal Government to intervene.
He said, “How can you profit from your own inefficiency? This is ruthless, primitive capitalism. Nigerians are unprotected. The government must act.”
The senator warned that continued injustice and exploitation could lead to deeper public anger and unrest.
Air Peace: Oshiomhole lying
In a quick reaction, Air Peace has challenged Senator Oshiomhole to provide evidence of its officials shortchanging passengers.
The airline said the Senator lied blatantly when he, among other things, accused it of extorting its passengers.
It challenged Senator Oshiomole to provide evidence of a passenger who was extorted.
The statement reads, “Our attention has been drawn to the deliberate falsehood being peddled by Senator Adams Oshiomole against Air Peace.
“The Senator lied blatantly when he accused Air Peace of extorting its passengers. We challenge Senator Oshiomole to bring one evidence of a passenger that was extorted.
“None of our staff ever extorted any passenger. In fact, no ticket was sold after the closure of check-in on that flight. Everyone who flew bought their ticket prior to the flight closure.
“Again, our flight was never overbooked as some of his videos alleged. In fact, the aircraft took off with over thirty (30) empty seats. It would have been in our interest to carry Oshiomhole and those others who missed their flights for lateness on this flight, instead of flying many empty seats; but we will never sacrifice our strict on-time performance for monetary gains.
“It’s absolutely false that he was offered preferential treatment and that he was fighting for others. Senator Oshiomole was not fighting for anyone.
“He came to the airport late and was told that he was late. He then began to forment trouble. He jumped on the baggage conveyor belt preventing the check-in process of other flights.
“He also barricaded the entrance gate and prevented access to the terminal. While he was doing all this, he also deliberately instigated other passengers against the Airline.”
The airline also called on the Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) to release the CCTV coverage starting from the time Senator Oshiomole entered the airport, for Nigerians to see.
“His accusation of extortion is very defamatory. His conduct was very violent, unbecoming, unfortunate and above all, shameful,” the airline said.
