A recent incident at a Lagos domestic airport has sparked outrage and brought Nigeria’s airline practices under scrutiny. Senator Adams Oshiomhole has accused Air Peace of preventing him and other passengers from boarding their flights despite having valid tickets and, in his case, having checked in online. The former Edo State Governor alleges that the airline was simultaneously reselling seats at significantly inflated prices, leading to a chaotic scene at the terminal.

 

The controversy erupted after a video circulating on social media showed Senator Oshiomhole in a heated exchange with an Air Peace official. Speaking to Vanguard, Oshiomhole detailed his frustrating experience, painting a picture of systemic issues within the airline’s operations.

 

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According to Oshiomhole, he had booked an Air Peace flight for 6:30 AM – their first flight of the day. To avoid past issues, he and two Ghanaian companions checked in online. “I got there at about five minutes past six. They told me the counter was closed,” Oshiomhole recounted, expressing his disbelief. “I told them, ‘No, I’ve already checked in.’ I showed them the evidence of my online check-in… They looked at it but still said the gate had been closed.”

 

What infuriated the Senator further was the observation that other passengers were still being allowed to board the same flight. “How can you close boarding for a 6:30 flight at 6:05? What is the purpose of online check-in, then?” he questioned, highlighting the apparent futility of the online check-in system if passengers are still denied boarding so close to departure.

 

Oshiomhole’s personal ordeal, however, was just a glimpse into a larger problem he witnessed. He described seeing “many men and women who had been there even before me, with similar experiences.” He specifically cited the case of a woman who had purchased her ticket online for N146,000 for the 6:30 AM flight but was denied boarding at 5:55 AM. “They told her she was late and that the counter had closed for check-in,” Oshiomhole said.

 

The most damning accusation from Oshiomhole is that Air Peace was allegedly “selling tickets on the spot at higher prices,” ranging from N200,000 to N300,000 for the same flight. “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,” he stated.

 

When security personnel, including the DSS and Air Force, intervened, the affected woman was offered a spot on the “next flight.” However, this offer came with an additional charge of N109,100, bringing her total cost for a one-hour flight to Abuja to approximately N256,000. Oshiomhole, witnessing the injustice, revealed he had to send the woman N500,000 to cover the exorbitant new fare.

 

“You cannot board people buying tickets on the spot and deny those who booked days ago or checked in online,” Oshiomhole asserted, expressing his frustration with both the airline and what he perceives as a lack of regulatory oversight. He added that the “rowdiness arose because many people were denied boarding while tickets were being sold on the spot to others.”

 

This incident raises serious concerns about passenger rights, airline transparency, and the effectiveness of aviation regulatory bodies in Nigeria. Air Peace is yet to issue an official statement addressing Senator Oshiomhole’s allegations.

As the video continues to circulate and the story gains traction, pressure is mounting on the airline and aviation authorities to provide a comprehensive explanation and ensure such incidents are not repeated.