A senior civil servant Aruviere Martins Egharhevwa, has publicly criticised Air Peace after a disturbing incident involving passenger luggage.
He claimed that the airline flew bags of about 29 passengers to Asaba without the passengers themselves, despite their clear objections.
Mr Egharheywa is a Federal Commissioner on Revenue Mobilization, Allocation and Fiscal Commission, Abuja.
The trouble began when a flight scheduled for 2:00 pm was delayed until 4:00 pm. At the boarding gate, passengers were told their luggage could not be carried with them on the flight. Many of them refused to travel under such conditions, especially because Asaba was not their final destination.
They requested that their bags be returned to them so they could make alternative arrangements. However, their demands were ignored, and Air Peace went ahead to transport the luggage without the owners.
Egharhevwa expressed frustration and warned the airline to correct its customer service issues.
He wrote, “Air Peace should respect themself and behave as if there was no altercation between them and Senator Oshiomhole. Because if they continue to defend the nonsense that they are known for, it will be a litany of embarrassment for the airline.”
He added that he arrived at the airport by 10:30 am for a 12:30 pm flight, which was later delayed until 4:00 pm. Recalling a previous flight, he said passengers were told they would not fly with their bags. Those who refused to fly demanded their luggage back but later discovered that their belongings had been sent to Asaba without them.
“I had to re-route my ticket to Benin the next day to make it to my meetings in Delta,” he added. “Over 20 of us that refused to fly without our bags had our bags flown to Asaba without us.”
He said Air Peace has a pattern of poor treatment towards customers and rarely offers any apology.
Federal Consumer Commission Issues Summons to Air Peace
Following growing complaints, the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) has summoned Air Peace to appear at its headquarters in Abuja on June 23, 2025. The Commission is investigating reports of ticket fare non-refunds, even in situations where the airline cancelled flights.
A formal notice was issued on June 13, 2025, directing the airline to explain its actions and provide documentary evidence. This includes records of refunds issued in the last 12 months, logs of customer complaints about refunds, and a full list of cancelled flights within the same period.
The FCCPC also asked Air Peace to detail any support provided to stranded passengers.
According to the Commission, Air Peace’s behaviour may violate Sections 130(1)(a), 130(1)(b), and 130(2)(b) of the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Act 2018. These sections give passengers the right to timely refunds when services are not delivered due to the service provider’s fault.
The Commission stated that failure to honour the summons could result in fines or imprisonment under Section 33(3) of the Act. “This provision protects consumers from unfair or unreasonable practices by service providers,” the statement added.
Air Peace Also in Dispute with Senator Oshiomhole
Although not directly mentioned in the summons, recent tension between Senator Adams Oshiomhole and Air Peace may have added fuel to the public criticism. The senator accused Air Peace staff of extortion after he reportedly missed a flight. He claimed that staff refused to board him and other passengers who were on time, while allowing later arrivals to fly after allegedly collecting bribes.
Senator Oshiomhole said he was shocked when airline staff asked him and around 30 other affected passengers to pay an extra ₦109,100 to reschedule to an 8:30 am flight. He insisted that he arrived on time and witnessed late passengers being admitted onto the plane after payment.
Air Peace, however, denied the claim and said the senator arrived late. The airline insisted that boarding had already closed when he showed up.
The incident has drawn wider attention to how Air Peace handles customer service. It has also exposed broader concerns about the lack of accountability in Nigeria’s aviation sector.
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