Air Peace has strongly denied allegations made by Senator Adams Oshiomhole, who represents Edo North in the National Assembly, that he was extorted and unjustly denied boarding a scheduled flight.
In response to the claims, the airline clarified that the former Edo State governor failed to complete online check-in and also arrived at the airport after the designated check-in period had closed for his 6:30 a.m. flight.
Speaking during an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Monday, Air Peace’s Operations Manager, Ayodeji Adeyemi, labeled the senator’s assertions as baseless.
“Oshiomhole has made several claims, but we maintain that they are completely false,” Adeyemi said. “It is a fact that he arrived late for the flight, and he has not denied that. He came to the airport asking to board after the flight had already closed.”
Adeyemi addressed the senator’s insistence that he had checked in online, stating that the airline’s internal system showed no such record of any online check-in under Oshiomhole’s name.
“He never completed any online check-in. What he did was display his phone on television in an attempt to gain public sympathy,” Adeyemi explained. “If he truly checked in online, he should be able to present the boarding pass that would have been issued. Up until now, he has failed to do so.”
He added that the airline’s manifest and backend systems confirmed Oshiomhole’s name was missing from the list of passengers who had checked in for the flight.
Providing a timeline of events, Adeyemi noted that Oshiomhole arrived at the airport after 6:00 a.m., by which time the aircraft doors had already been shut. He emphasized that Air Peace’s standard policy closes check-in 45 minutes prior to departure.
“The flight was scheduled for 6:30 a.m., and by the time he arrived, check-in had closed and the boarding door was already shut,” Adeyemi stated.
Commenting on a viral video that appeared to show an Air Peace official speaking privately with Oshiomhole in a corner of the airport terminal, Adeyemi refuted any suggestion of misconduct.
“No one cornered him. The staff member was only trying to explain, respectfully, that since he had missed the flight, the next available option was an 8:30 a.m. flight, and to board that, he would need to modify his ticket and pay the standard change fee,” he said.
Regarding the allegation of extortion, Adeyemi clarified that what the senator described as extortion was simply routine airline procedure for missed flights and ticket changes.
“There was no extortion. It was standard airline policy being applied fairly,” he concluded.
The incident has sparked conversation online, with many awaiting further clarification from Senator Oshiomhole regarding the evidence he initially presented.
