Video: Oshiomhole/Air Peace saga: Unruly passengers’ll be prosecuted regardless of status, AON vows
Abdullateef Fowewe
The Airlines Operators of Nigeria (AON) has issued a stern warning that unruly passengers will face the full weight of the law, regardless of their status or identity.
video link: https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMSy3LYQU/
Speaking to journalists in Ikeja on Friday, Professor Obiora Okonkwo, AON spokesman and Chairman of United Nigeria Airlines, emphasised the organisation’s zero-tolerance stance on disruptive behaviour aboard flights.
“For us in AON, an unruly passenger is an unruly passenger, no matter who you are. So we had some plans to take some actions. We’re in touch with Air Peace, and we are willing to see the feedback they will give us because it seems there are some interventions coming from other places, but this is something that must not happen,” Okonkwo declared.
He further appealed to the media and the public to understand the gravity of the issue, highlighting the rarity of such behaviour being tolerated abroad.
“This unruly passenger behaviour is too much in Nigeria. Can any of these our VIPs do this outside Nigeria and get away with it? Do you think for whatever inconvenience or whatever reason that could have been his own situation, could he do it in any country and get away with it? Could he even attempt to do it, or will even get away with it? Only in Nigeria,” he asked.
The incident involved the former Edo state governor missing his Air Peace flight after allegedly arriving late at the terminal.
Air Peace accused the senator of “physically assaulting airline personnel,” sealing off the terminal’s main entrance, and blocking other passengers, which caused operational delays and disruptions.
In response, Oshiomhole denied disrupting operations, instead accusing Air Peace of racketeering, extortion, and unethical treatment of passengers, claiming he was standing against systemic exploitation, Dailyeconomy reported.
Air Peace has challenged Oshiomhole’s allegations, urging the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) to release CCTV footage to prove their version of events and refute claims of extortion and overbooking.
The airline underscored that no tickets were sold after check-in closure and that the flight departed with over 30 empty seats.
