LAGOS, Nigeria (CHATNEWSTV) — Nigerian carrier Air Peace on Wednesday strongly condemned what it described as “unruly conduct” by a prominent politician at Murtala Muhammed Airport, after the individual physically assaulted airline staff and obstructed other passengers from entering the terminal.
The disruption occurred early Wednesday, June 11, 2025, when the unnamed politician arrived at Terminal 1 (Zulu Hall) around 6:10 a.m., just 20 minutes before Flight P47120 to Abuja was scheduled for departure at 6:30 a.m.
According to Air Peace, the boarding gate had already been closed in line with standard on-time departure policy. “Upon being informed of the missed flight, the politician resorted to violence, physically assaulting our staff and forcefully barricading the terminal’s entrance,” the airline said in a statement.
“He went as far as sealing the entry gate and manning the access point,” the airline continued, “effectively obstructing other passengers from gaining entry into the terminal.”
The incident caused significant disruption to other flights and forced the airline to activate an operational contingency plan, boarding affected passengers through an alternate terminal.
“To minimize further inconvenience, Air Peace swiftly activated an operational contingency plan,” the company stated, adding that its priority was to ensure continuity in passengers’ travel plans despite the chaos.
The airline said it was “deeply saddened that such a high-profile figure displayed conduct so unbecoming and disruptive to fellow passengers and our personnel,” emphasizing that it maintains a zero-tolerance policy on any form of violence or aggression against staff or passengers.
“Aviation operations are bound by strict timelines and safety protocols,” the statement read. “We remain committed to upholding these standards while delivering safe and timely services to the Nigerian public.”
Air Peace concluded by reaffirming its values: “We continue to stand for discipline, integrity, and respect for due process. No individual, no matter how influential, is above these values.”
As of press time, authorities had not publicly identified the politician involved or announced any legal action.
