The Federal Government has initiated a thorough investigation into the altercation that occurred on Wednesday at the Murtala Muhammed Airport in Lagos between Senator Adams Oshiomhole and Nigerian airline, Air Peace.
The directive was issued by the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, who confirmed that he has personally reached out to both parties involved in the dispute.
In a statement released via his official X (formerly Twitter) account on Friday, Keyamo called for calm and urged both the Senator and the airline to desist from making further public accusations and counter-accusations, emphasizing the need to allow due process to prevail.
According to the minister, relevant aviation regulatory agencies have been instructed to conduct a comprehensive investigation into the matter. He directed the agencies to gather all available evidence and submit a detailed report to his office. This, he said, would guide appropriate resolution and inform future actions in similar situations.
“In the wake of the incident at the Lagos Airport last Wednesday involving Air Peace and His Excellency, Senator Adams Oshiomhole, I have been in direct contact with both parties since that morning,” Keyamo stated.
“Whilst appealing to both sides to halt the public accusations and counter-accusations, I am further directing the relevant aviation agencies to thoroughly look into the issue, collect all available evidence, and revert to my office so we can deal with the issue in a way that guides future conduct in similar situations.”
The incident in question followed claims by Air Peace that Senator Oshiomhole caused a disruption at the airport after allegedly missing his scheduled flight. The airline accused the former governor of Edo State of interfering with their operations at Terminal 1 of the Lagos airport’s Zulu Hall.
In response, Senator Oshiomhole strongly refuted the airline’s accusations, stating that he did not in any way obstruct flight operations.
Instead, he claimed he was protesting what he described as exploitative and arbitrary policies by the airline, particularly an alleged demand for additional payments from passengers who had already checked in online. He maintained that his actions were a stand against what he perceived as the extortion of Nigerian travelers.
Video clips of the incident that surfaced online showed the Senator seated in front of an airport gate, engaging with airline officials in what appeared to be a heated discussion.
Air Peace, however, dismissed Oshiomhole’s version of events, describing his allegations as “deliberate falsehood” and reiterating that the Senator’s conduct had indeed interfered with their operations.
Minister Keyamo reiterated that all sides must be heard impartially and fairly in line with the principles of natural justice. He underscored the importance of ensuring transparency in the investigative process and pledged that appropriate actions would be taken based on the findings.
As the aviation ministry proceeds with its inquiry, Nigerians await clarity on what transpired and how the government intends to handle such high-profile disputes in the aviation sector moving forward.
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