Senator Adams Oshiomhole has called on the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) to investigate and sanction Air Peace over what he described as a growing culture of exploitation and disregard for passenger rights.

The senator representing Edo North made the call on Wednesday following a public disagreement with the airline after he was denied boarding on a scheduled flight at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.

Speaking to journalists, Oshiomhole said he arrived at the airport 40 minutes before the scheduled departure, only to be told he could not board despite already having his luggage checked in.

“I was there early. I had my boarding pass for business class. My aide was allowed to board, but I wasn’t. Meanwhile, others who arrived after me were allowed to go in. This was not a matter of late arrival — it was deliberate,” he said.

Oshiomhole said the incident left him stranded and prompted him to lodge not only himself but two Ghanaian passengers who were also denied boarding.

“That night, I had to spend over N1.5 million on hotel accommodation for myself and some fellow passengers Air Peace abandoned without explanation,” he said.

The next morning, Oshiomhole said he returned for a 6:30 a.m. flight after checking in online the previous evening. Despite arriving at 6:05 a.m., he was again told the gate had closed.

“I showed them my boarding pass and check-in confirmation. Still, they refused. While I stood there, others were being allowed to board. This is nothing short of extortion,” he said.

According to Oshiomhole, the airline routinely denies boarding to prepaid passengers in order to resell the same seats at inflated prices.

“A woman who had paid N146,000 was refused entry and asked to buy another ticket for N250,000. It’s a scam, and NCAA is turning a blind eye,” he said.

Oshiomhole said airline staff tried to “fix” the situation for him once they recognised him, but he refused special treatment.

“They said, ‘We’ll fix it for you sir,’ but I told them I wanted equal treatment for all passengers — not VIP shortcuts. This isn’t just about me, it’s about the abuse Nigerians face every day,” he said.

The senator recalled the case of a nursing mother who was denied boarding and later told she had to pay an additional N109,100 to be placed on the next flight.

“I told her to go ahead and pay, and I transferred N500,000 to her to cover the cost. That’s how they treat people who’ve already paid and showed up on time,” he said.

He accused Air Peace of weaponizing inefficiency and urged the NCAA to protect Nigerians from arbitrary practices.

“This is ruthless capitalism. You exploit passengers, sell the same seats twice, and get away with it because the regulators are asleep. The NCAA must stop this nonsense,” he said.

Oshiomhole warned that persistent exploitation could erode trust in institutions and fuel social unrest.

“When people are treated unfairly again and again, they lose faith. And when they lose faith, they rebel. The government must step in before it gets there,” he added.