Air Peace has fired back at Nigerian senator and former Edo State governor, Adams Oshiomhole, over what the airline describes as a “deliberate falsehood” following his explosive claims that the airline extorted passengers by selling tickets for up to ₦300,000 after check-in had closed.
In a viral video and accompanying posts on social media, Senator Oshiomhole alleged that he was barred from boarding a morning flight after a previous five-hour delay the day before. According to him, despite having checked in online and arriving at the airport around 6:05 AM without any luggage, Air Peace staff told him he was late and denied him and others entry. He further claimed the airline was simultaneously selling tickets for the same flight at inflated prices, reportedly up to ₦300,000 at the counter.
“They said we were late, but they were still selling tickets for the same flight at ₦300k. I had checked in online and was traveling light, yet they refused to let us board,” Oshiomhole stated, sparking outrage among his supporters and some members of the public.
But in a strongly worded press release signed by its management today, Air Peace dismissed the accusations as “blatantly false” and “defamatory,” challenging the senator to provide concrete evidence of extortion.
“Senator Oshiomhole lied,” the statement declared. “At no time did any Air Peace staff sell a ticket after check-in for that flight had closed. No passenger was extorted, and the claim that tickets were being sold at ₦300,000 after the gate closed is completely untrue. In fact, the flight in question departed with over 30 empty seats.”
The airline emphasized that allowing the senator and others who arrived late to board would have made financial sense, but that doing so would compromise the company’s strict commitment to on-time departures—a cornerstone of its operational standards.
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Air Peace also denied claims that the flight was overbooked, revealing instead that the plane took off under capacity. The statement went further to accuse the senator of disrupting airport operations, alleging he jumped onto a baggage conveyor belt and blocked terminal access in a bid to force his way onto the flight.
“He wasn’t fighting for other passengers; he was instigating them. His conduct was violent, disgraceful, and an embarrassment to public service,” the airline said.
Air Peace has now called on the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) to release CCTV footage from the airport on the day of the incident to expose what it describes as Oshiomhole’s “shameful behavior.” The airline insists the senator’s public actions were not only defamatory but also harmful to its reputation.
As the controversy continues to generate buzz across social media, this clash between a major Nigerian airline and a sitting senator has stirred fresh debate on flight operations, VIP privileges, and public accountability in the country’s aviation sector.
