In a statement in Abuja on Monday by the commission’s Director of Corporate Affairs, Ondaje Ijagwu, these actions potentially contravene Sections 130(1)(a) and (b), and 130(2)(b) of the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Act (FCCPA) 2018, which expressly guarantee consumers the right to timely refunds where advance bookings, reservations, or orders are unfulfilled due to service-provider’s failure.
The statement read: ‘This provision enshrines the principle of fair dealing and safeguards consumers against unfair, unjust, or unreasonable practices by service-providers.
‘In a formal summon dated 13 June 2025, the commission, invoking Sections 32 and 33 of the FCCPA 2018, requires Air Peace to appear before it at its Abuja headquarters on Monday, 23 June 2025.
‘Specifically, Section 33(3) of the FCCPA mandates compliance and failure attracts severe sanctions including fines or imprisonment.
‘The airline is further directed to produce documentary evidence including complaint log for refunds over the past 12 months, total records of processed refunds to date, list of cancelled flights on all routes within the past 12 months, and remedial actions taken to mitigate consumer hardship resulting from cancelled flights’.
Last December, the FCCPC commenced inquiries into separate allegations of exploitative ticket pricing, including substantial price hikes for advance bookings on certain domestic routes by Air Peace.
In response, the airline instituted legal proceedings seeking to restrain the commission from continuing its inquiry.
According to the commission, ‘this is an entirely different matter. The FCCPC remains committed to enforcing the provisions of the FCCPA (2018) and holding service providers accountable and ensuring that consumers, including airline passengers, are protected from exploitative or unfair market practices’.
The summon comes days after former Edo State Governor, Senator Adams Oshiomhole and Air Peace officials were embroiled in a dispute over alleged extortion of Nigerian passengers.
The situation escalated when the senator reportedly missed a flight, which he claimed was due to racketeering by airline officials. While Air Peace asserted that Oshiomhole arrived at the airport late, the senator maintained that he, along with other angry passengers, witnessed staff boarding passengers who arrived later.
Oshiomhole said that around 20 to 30 other passengers faced similar treatment, with airline staff allegedly demanding an additional N109,100 to reschedule them to an 8:30 am flight.
