Oshiomhole Slams Air Peace Over Boarding Denial, Alleges Passenger Exploitation

Senator Adams Oshiomhole has strongly criticized Air Peace after he was denied boarding on a flight to Abuja despite completing online check-in. The incident happened Wednesday morning at Terminal 1 of Murtala Muhammed Airport, Lagos.

Oshiomhole, who represents Edo North, accused the airline of exploiting early passengers by reselling their seats to last-minute buyers at inflated prices.

“I arrived at 6:05 a.m. for a 6:30 a.m. flight I had checked in for online, yet they shut the gate and allowed others to board after me,” he said in an interview with Vanguard.

He claimed a woman who bought her ticket for ₦146,000 was turned away unless she paid over ₦100,000 more for the next flight. “They resold tickets for ₦200,000 to ₦300,000,” he alleged.

Oshiomhole said the scene caused confusion at the terminal, and despite the intervention of security agents, stranded passengers were still forced to pay more to fly. He later gave the woman ₦500,000 to cover her travel expenses.

The senator called on aviation regulators to take swift action against what he described as an exploitative trend that leaves Nigerians at the mercy of airlines.

“If this goes on unchecked, it will keep punishing ordinary citizens. The regulators must act now,” he warned.

The incident has since sparked outrage online, with calls for stronger passenger protection in Nigeria’s aviation industry.