Air Peace Denies Oshiomhole’s Allegations Of Extortion And Overbooking At Lagos Airport

Air Peace has pushed back against accusations made by Senator Adams Oshiomhole, calling his claims of extortion and overbooking “completely false.”

The airline issued the response after a video surfaced showing Oshiomhole in a heated exchange at Lagos Airport’s Zulu Terminal (Terminal 1), where he was seen blocking access to the terminal.

Oshiomhole claimed he missed his flight to Abuja because of what he called “disorganized operations” by Air Peace.

The former Edo governor also alleged that airline staff were involved in extortion and making sudden policy changes.

The senator said the problem started a week earlier when his flight was delayed for five hours before being cancelled.

He tried to switch to Ibom Air, but said they wouldn’t let him board, even though his assistant had already checked in their luggage.

He claimed the airline insisted they wouldn’t issue his assistant a boarding pass until they saw him in person—by the time he arrived, they had closed the gate.

He said the ordeal forced him to spend ₦1.6 million on last-minute hotel accommodation for himself and a delegation from Ghana.

According to him, an Air Peace manager later promised he could rebook on a 6:30 am flight the following Wednesday.

He said he followed instructions to check in online around 9 pm the night before but was told at the airport the next morning that the flight was full and had already closed.

Oshiomhole claimed this was part of a trend by the airline, alleging that passengers with valid online bookings were denied entry and then offered new tickets at inflated prices.

He gave an example of a woman who reportedly paid ₦146,000 for a ticket online but was asked to pay ₦250,000 to get on the flight after being denied boarding.

In a statement released Thursday on X (formerly Twitter), Air Peace said Oshiomhole’s accusations were untrue and challenged him to provide evidence of any passenger being extorted.

The airline also stated the flight was not overbooked, countering Oshiomhole’s public claim.

Air Peace said, “Our attention has been drawn to the deliberate falsehood being peddled by Senator Adams Oshiomole against Air Peace.

“The Senator lied blatantly when he accused Air Peace of extorting its passengers. We challenge Senator Oshiomhole to bring one evidence of a passenger that was extorted.”

“None of our staff ever extorted any passengers. No ticket was sold after the closure of check-in on that flight. Everyone who flew bought their ticket before the flight closure.

“Again, our flight was never overbooked as some of his videos alleged. The aircraft took off with over thirty (30) empty seats.

“It would have been in our interest to carry Oshiomhole and those others who missed their flights for lateness on this flight, instead of flying many empty seats; but we will never sacrifice our strict on-time performance for monetary gains.”

Air Peace accused the senator of causing a scene at the terminal, claiming he arrived late and reacted aggressively when told he had missed the flight.

According to the airline, Oshiomhole jumped on the baggage belt and blocked other passengers from checking in, even blocking the entrance gate at one point.

The statement said, ‘It’s absolutely false that he was offered preferential treatment and that he was fighting for others.

“Senator Oshiomole was not fighting for anyone. He came to the airport late and was told that he was late.

“He then began to foment trouble. He jumped on the baggage conveyor belt preventing the check-in process of other flights.

“He also barricaded the entrance gate and prevented access to the terminal. While he was doing all these, he also deliberately instigated other passengers against the airline.”

The airline called on the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) to release CCTV footage of the entire incident to clarify what really happened.

“We call on the FAAN to release the CCTV coverage starting from the time Senator Oshiomole entered the airport, for Nigerians to see.

“His accusation of extortion is very defamatory. His conduct was very violent, unbecoming, unfortunate and above all, shameful,” he said.

KanyiDaily recalls that Air Peace previously expressed disappointment over Adam’s Oshiomhole’s actions, calling it unacceptable for a public figure to behave that way.