Air Peace Condemns Oshiomhole’s Disruption of Operations

By Adedapo Adesanya

Nigerian airline operator, Air Peace, has condemned the action of a former Governor of Edo State, Mr Adams Oshiomhole, who disrupted its operations at the Murtala Muhammed Airport Terminal 1 (Zulu Hall) on Wednesday.

Business Post reports that the Senator representing Edo North Senatorial District at the National Assembly caused a scene today after he reportedly missed his flight.

In a statement on Wednesday, Air Peace condemned what it described as the “unruly conduct.”

Mr Oshiomole reportedly forced the closure of the Zulu Terminal at the General Aviation Terminal (GAT) of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) in Lagos after arriving late for his flight to Abuja.

According to verified videos, Mr Oshiomhole was seen blocking the entrance to the Zulu Terminal of the GAT after arriving at the terminal well past the scheduled departure time.

Air Peace claimed that Mr Oshiomhole was scheduled to travel on an early morning Air Peace flight. His departure time for the flight to Abuja was 6:30 am, but when he was informed that he had missed the flight, the Senator became physically aggressive, allegedly assaulted airline staff, and blocked the terminal entrance, preventing other passengers from accessing the departure hall.

“Upon being informed of the missed flight, the politician resorted to violence, physically assaulting our staff and forcefully barricading the terminal’s entrance. He went as far as sealing the entry gate and manning the access point, effectively obstructing other passengers from gaining entry into the terminal,” Air Peace said.

The disruption reportedly caused significant delays for other passengers. In response, the airline activated a contingency plan to reroute travelers through an alternate terminal to minimise the chaos.

Air Peace expressed disappointment that a public figure of Mr Oshiomhole’s stature could act in a way they described as unbecoming and disruptive.

“We are deeply saddened that such a high-profile figure displayed conduct so unbecoming and disruptive to fellow passengers and our personnel. Air Peace maintains a zero-tolerance stance on violence or any form of aggression against our staff and passengers,” it stated.

Air Peace added that it is preparing formal reports on the incident to be submitted to the Nigerian Senate, the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), the Department of State Services (DSS), and other relevant authorities for investigation and possible disciplinary action.