By Eze Chukwu
Air Peace has dismissed claims by the senator representing Edo North, Adams Oshiomhole, that he was extorted and unfairly denied boarding, stating that the former Edo State governor did not check in online as alleged and arrived late for his scheduled flight.
Speaking on Channels Televsion’s “Politics Today” on Monday, Air Peace’s Operations Manager, Ayodeji Adeyemi, rejected what he described as “false allegations” made by the senator, suggesting they might have been motivated by personal reasons.
“Oshiomhole has made several allegations, and we stand by the fact that they are false. He came late for his flight — that’s already been established, and he didn’t deny it. He came to the airport requesting to board when the flight had closed,” Adeyemi said.
Adeyemi challenged the senator’s claim of checking in online before his arrival, explaining that Air Peace’s backend systems reflect all online check-ins, which automatically generate a boarding pass with seat details.
“He never checked in online. He only tried to sway public opinion by showing his phone on TV. If he truly checked in online, he should produce the boarding pass issued to him. Till now, he has not done that.
“If you check in online, your name appears on our manifest and system. He wasn’t there. We couldn’t find him on our checked-in list,” Adeyemi stated.
Commenting on the timeline, Adeyemi noted, “He came in after 6 am. Our check-in closes 45 minutes before departure — that’s standard. The flight was for 6:30 am, and at the time he arrived, the door of the aircraft was already shut.”
Adeyemi also addressed the viral video showing an Air Peace staff speaking with Oshiomhole in a secluded part of the terminal.
“Nobody cornered him (Oshimhole). Given his status, the official only tried to explain that since he had missed the flight, the next one was at 8:30 am, and to board that, he would need to change his ticket and pay the appropriate fees,” he said.
*It’s standard practice, not extortion, says Air Peace
On the senator’s allegations of extortion, the airline manager clarified, “When you miss a flight, you’re charged a ‘no-show’ fee under standard aviation policies. If you select a new flight, you may also pay a fare difference depending on availability and demand. That’s not extortion — it’s standard practice.”
