Victor Ezeja
Leading Nigerian airline, Air Peace, has reacted to allegations of extortion made against it by former governor of Edo State, Senator Adams Oshiomhole.
The airline said Oshiomhole lied against it on what transpired at the Murtala Muhammed Airport Terminal 1, Zulu Hall, on Wednesday morning.
Join our WhatsApp ChannelOshiomhole, who represents Edo North Senatorial district, had, while narrating his experience with Air Peace on Wednesday morning at the Lagos airport, accused the airline of extortion.
The lawmaker who missed a 06:30 am flight from Lagos to Abuja claimed that he and some other passengers were deliberately denied boarding by Air Peace staff. He alleged that the airline was selling tickets for the same flight on the spot to other passengers at higher prices while leaving those who had earlier booked online.
However, while reacting to the allegation, the management of Air Peace, in a statement, challenged Senator Oshiomhole to provide evidence of a passenger who was extorted.
Part of the statement reads: “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.
The airline claimed that no ticket was sold to any passenger after the closure of check-in on that flight.
“None of our staff ever extorted any passenger. In fact, no ticket was sold after the closure of check-in on that flight. Everyone who flew bought their ticket prior to the flight closure,” it stated.
It said the flight left the airport with 30 empty seats, countering the allegations of overbooking.
READ ALSO: Lagos Airport Incident: I Acted To Enforce My Rights, Other Affected Passengers – Oshiomhole
“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.”
It further denied offering Oshiomhole preferential treatment, insisting that the senator came late and missed the flight.
“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.”
Air Peace called on the Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) to release the CCTV coverage starting from the time Senator Oshiomhole entered the airport, for Nigerians to see.
It described the lawmaker’s accusation of extortion as defamatory, adding that his conduct was “violent.”
Victor Ezeja is a passionate journalist with seven years of experience writing on economy, politics and energy. He holds a Master's degree in Mass Communication.
