Joe Igbokwe, a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), has added his voice to allegations of extortion against Air Peace airline, supporting claims recently made by Senator Adams Oshiomhole.
Igbokwe revealed that he too had been a victim of similar practices by the airline, describing such incidents as a "reoccurring decimal" that has persisted for years in Nigeria's aviation sector.
Oshiomhole's Airport Confrontation
The controversy began when Senator Oshiomhole and Air Peace engaged in a public dispute on Wednesday. Oshiomhole accused the airline of deliberately preventing passengers who had completed online check-in from boarding their Lagos to Abuja flight, while allowing those who paid double for "emergency service" to board instead.
"They denied me, somebody went in and ah it's Oshiomhole, then the senior manager came out and said, 'Oga, let's see how I can sort you out.' I said, 'No, I don't want personal favors,'" Oshiomhole explained.
Air Peace, however, countered the senator's claims, alleging that he disrupted activities at the Murtala Muhammed Airport Terminal 1 (Zulu Hall).
Igbokwe's Personal Experience
Responding to the incident on Facebook, Igbokwe shared his own experience with the airline, writing: "We play too much in the country. What HE Adams Oshiomhole discovered has been a reoccurring decimal for years now. I was once a victim because I made public my encounter with them on my trip to Enugu."
Igbokwe's support lends credence to Oshiomhole's allegations that the airline engages in practices that disadvantage regular passengers while creating opportunities for additional charges.
The incident has sparked discussions about consumer protection in Nigeria's aviation industry and the need for regulatory oversight to prevent exploitation of passengers.
Neither Air Peace nor aviation regulatory authorities have issued comprehensive responses to these allegations of systematic extortion as of the time of reporting.
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