Oshiomhole Breaks Silence, Slams Air Peace Over Denied Boarding, Alleged Resale of Tickets at Inflated Prices

Senator representing Edo North and former Governor of Edo State, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, has narrated his experience during a chaotic incident at Murtala Muhammed Airport Terminal 1, Zulu Hall, on Wednesday morning, where he and several other passengers were denied boarding an Air Peace flight to Abuja—despite checking in online.

Speaking to Vanguard after a video emerged showing him in a heated exchange with airport staff, Oshiomhole accused Air Peace of deliberately blocking passengers who had already booked and checked in, in order to resell their seats at inflated prices.

He explained:
“I booked Air Peace… They delayed the flight for over five hours. In the end, they announced a cancellation. I had to get another ticket. Yesterday, I booked a flight for 6:30 a.m., which is their first flight today. I booked and asked them to check me in online, which I did, along with two other Ghanaians who met me in Lagos. We checked in online just to avoid the last-minute issues I’ve had with them a couple of times.

“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?

“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 ₦146,000 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 between ₦200,000 and ₦300,000. 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 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 ₦109,100. This was in addition to the original ₦146,000 ticket, meaning she would spend about ₦256,000 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 ₦500,000. 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.”

Oshiomhole called on regulatory bodies to investigate the incident, warning that such exploitation of passengers will persist unless strict measures are enforced.