Nigeria’s leading carrier, Air Peace, has firmly denied recent allegations of extortion and overbooking levelled against it by Senator Adams Oshiomhole, describing his claims as “deliberate falsehoods” and calling for the release of CCTV footage to clarify the events in question.
The airline, in a strongly worded statement issued on Thursday via its official X (formerly Twitter) account, dismissed the senator’s accusations as baseless. “The Senator lied blatantly when he accused Air Peace of extorting its passengers. We challenge Senator Oshiomhole to produce a single evidence of a passenger who was extorted,” the airline stated.
According to the airline, the Lagos-Abuja flight referenced by the senator was not overbooked, and no tickets were sold after the check-in window had closed. It added that the flight eventually departed with more than 30 unoccupied seats, countering claims of capacity issues.
“None of our staff extorted any passenger. Every ticket was purchased prior to check-in closure. It would have been to our benefit to accommodate Senator Oshiomhole and other latecomers, but we are committed to upholding our on-time performance and will not compromise operational discipline for profit,” the statement read.
Air Peace also accused the former Edo State governor of disruptive conduct at the airport after arriving late for the flight. “He arrived late and, upon being informed, began causing a scene. He climbed onto the baggage conveyor belt, obstructing check-in for other passengers, and later barricaded the entrance to the terminal, hindering access,” the airline alleged.
In light of the controversy, Air Peace urged the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) to release CCTV footage of the incident. “We call on FAAN to make public the video footage capturing Senator Oshiomhole’s actions from the moment he arrived at the airport. His accusations are defamatory, and his behaviour was aggressive, inappropriate, and regrettable,” the statement added.
Senator Oshiomhole had earlier expressed frustration over the airline’s operations, claiming he missed the early morning flight due to what he described as disorganisation and possible ticket racketeering. Speaking to reporters, he said the ordeal began a week earlier when his Air Peace flight was delayed for five hours before being cancelled.
He further recounted that a subsequent attempt to board an Ibom Air flight also failed despite his aide checking in their luggage. “I got there early, but was told boarding had closed. My assistant had checked in our luggage, but they insisted I had to be present. By the time I arrived, they refused to issue the boarding pass,” he said.
Oshiomhole said he incurred hotel bills of over ₦1.6 million as a result of the disruption, adding that he was later advised by an Air Peace staff to rebook for the 6:30 a.m. flight the following Wednesday. He claimed to have checked in online the night before, only to be told at the airport that the flight was full and that he could not board.
“As I speak to you, I’m still in yesterday’s clothes because my luggage had already been checked in with my assistant. They told me the flight was full despite my having a boarding pass. That suggests overbooking,” he alleged.
The senator also claimed that 20 to 30 other passengers were similarly denied boarding and accused the airline of engaging in ticket racketeering. “They offered me special treatment, but I declined. What about ordinary Nigerians? This practice of reselling seats at higher rates while ignoring earlier bookings is racketeering,” he said.
