Oshiomhole Reports Airpeace To Aviation Minister
- Accuses Carrier Of Racketeering, Unethical Treatment Of Passengers
The lawmaker representing Edo North, Senator Adams Oshiomhole, says he has lodged a complaint with the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, against Air Peace, accusing the carrier of racketeering and unethical treatment of passengers.
OSUN DEFENDER reports that a viral video circulated online on Wednesday showing the former Edo State Governor allegedly disrupting activities at the Lagos airport after missing his flight.
Oshiomhole was said to have allegedly arrived late at the Murtala Muhammed Airport Terminal 1 (Zulu Hall), which made him miss his Air Peace scheduled flight.
It would be recalled that the airline, through a statement, expressed strong condemnation of what it called violent and disruptive behavior exhibited by the prominent Nigerian politician.
According to the airline, the incident occurred at approximately 6:10 am when the politician arrived late for a flight, scheduled to depart Lagos for Abuja at 6:30 am.
The airline also accused the Senator of resulting to violence, physical assault of its staff and forceful barricading the terminal entrance after he was informed of the missed flight.
“In adherence to strict aviation protocols and the airline’s on-time departure policy, boarding for the flight had already closed, and the aircraft departed as scheduled,” the airline stated.
Reacting to the airline, the ex-Edo governor recounted a series of troubling travel experiences, including repeated delays, flight cancellations, and alleged discriminatory practices at the airport, which he claims culminated in a chaotic situation on Wednesday.
According to him, the ordeal began last week when a scheduled Air Peace flight was delayed for over five hours before being ultimately canceled.
A subsequent attempt to travel with Ibom Air also ended in disappointment when he was denied boarding despite his luggage being checked in by an aide.
“I got there early, but they told me boarding was over. My assistant was already there with our checked-in luggage, but they refused to issue him the boarding pass, insisting on seeing me in person. By the time I arrived, they said they had closed,” Oshiomhole said.
After he was left stranded, Oshiomole said he returned to a hotel with a visiting delegation from Ghana, incurring personal expenses of approximately N1.6m.
He said this was done after being assured by an Air Peace manager that he could rebook for a 6:30 am flight on Wednesday morning, and also advised to check in online, which he claimed to have done at 9:00 pm Tuesday.
Oshiomhole further stated that upon arrival at the airport, shortly before 6:00 am with his guests, he was told check-in had closed and the plane was already full.
“As I speak to you now, I’m still wearing yesterday’s clothes because my luggage has already left with my assistant. I showed them my online check-in and boarding pass, but they said the flight was full. That means they overbooked,” he stated.
The senator claimed that about 20 to 30 other passengers faced the same treatment, with airline staff demanding an additional N109,100 to reschedule them to an 8:30 am flight.
He added that “They tried to give me special treatment, but I refused. What about the others who can’t afford that amount? It seems they are selling tickets at higher rates at the counter, disregarding those who booked earlier. That’s racketeering.”
Olamilekan Adigun is a graduate of Mass Communication with years of experience in journalism embedded in uncovering human interest stories. He also prioritises accuracy and factual reportage of issues.
