Senator Adams Oshiomhole, former governor of Edo State and current senator representing Edo North, reportedly caused a disruption at the Zulu Terminal of the General Aviation Terminal (GAT) at Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos, on Wednesday after arriving late for his scheduled flight to Abuja.
According to sources at the airport, Oshiomhole, who was booked on a 6:30 a.m. Air Peace flight, arrived at the terminal after the check-in deadline had passed. Upon arrival, the senator allegedly blocked the entrance to the Zulu Terminal, preventing other passengers from accessing the facility.
Eyewitnesses said that despite repeated appeals by the terminal manager to clear the entrance and allow normal operations to continue, the senator stood his ground, leading to a temporary standstill that affected several passengers.
“The terminal was thrown into chaos. Dozens of passengers were delayed, and operations at the terminal came to a halt,” a source familiar with the incident told SaharaReporters.
Efforts by terminal officials to resolve the situation were unsuccessful until the regional manager of the airport reportedly intervened. A management meeting was quickly convened to address the matter and persuade Senator Oshiomhole to vacate the terminal entrance.
Meanwhile, Air Peace declined to board the senator, citing his late arrival and adherence to their standard check-in policies.
“He simply missed the flight. The airline could not delay it for him, and they stood by their policy,” said a source.
The disruption reportedly delayed other scheduled flights and created significant inconvenience for passengers and staff at the terminal.
The Zulu Terminal, part of the GAT and formerly the old Ikeja Airport, is a major hub for domestic flights to destinations such as Abuja, Port Harcourt, Benin, Enugu, and others. It was recently expanded by the federal government in 2023 at a cost of ₦2.2 billion, increasing its passenger capacity from 254 to over 1,000.
When contacted, Ijeoma Blessing Nwosu-Igbo, General Manager of Public Affairs at the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), said she was unaware of the incident and clarified that her agency does not oversee the privately run MM2 terminal.
“I don’t work for MM2, I work for the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria. I am not aware of the incident unless it was formally reported to us,” she stated.
Efforts by SaharaReporters to reach representatives of Air Peace and the Regional General Manager of MMIA, Mr. Olatokunbo Arewa, were unsuccessful at the time of reporting. Messages and calls to both parties went unanswered.
