In an alleged display of political privilege, Senator Adams Oshiomhole, representing Edo North district, reportedly caused the closure of the Zulu Terminal at the General Aviation Terminal (GAT) of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) in Lagos on Wednesday.
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The incident was said to have occurred after the former Edo State Governor arrived late for his scheduled Air Peace flight to Abuja.
According to credible sources at the airport, Oshiomhole arrived at the terminal well past his flight’s scheduled departure time of 6:30 am.
Rather than accepting responsibility for his lateness, eyewitnesses stated that he blocked the entrance to the Zulu Terminal entirely.
Sources indicated that the senator ‘refused to budge despite multiple pleas from the terminal manager’, creating a gridlock that left dozens of passengers stranded and delayed.
The terminal manager’s repeated efforts to resolve the disruption were allegedly met with obstinate refusal by Oshiomhole, eventually necessitating the intervention of the regional manager.
A management meeting was reportedly convened in haste ‘to pacify the senator and convince him to allow normal operations to resume’.
Witnesses described the scene as chaotic and humiliating for airline and airport staff, who were seen pleading with the senator to de-escalate the situation.
Air Peace, the airline scheduled to fly the senator to Abuja, reportedly declined to accommodate him, citing his late arrival and adherence to strict check-in policies.
Another source corroborated: ‘Oshiomhole blocked the terminal entrance completely until the regional manager came to resolve the issue… He disrupted flights by shutting down the Zulu Terminal. The situation was so tense that a management meeting was hurriedly convened to plead with the senator to step aside so that operations could resume’.
Domestic airlines in Lagos operate from two main terminals: Murtala Mohammed 1 (MM1), also known as the General Aviation Terminal (GAT), and Murtala Mohammed 2 (MM2).
The Zulu Terminal, formerly the old Ikeja Airport, is the primary domestic wing of MMIA, handling flights to key destinations across Nigeria.
In 2023, the Federal Government completed a N2.2 billion expansion of the terminal, increasing its capacity fourfold.
When contacted, the General Manager of Public Affairs at the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Ijeoma Blessing Nwosu-Igbo said she was unaware of the incident, noting that MM2 is a privately owned terminal and she could not speak for it.
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Efforts to reach Air Peace spokesperson, Dr. Ejike Ndiulo; and the Regional General Manager South-West for Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Mr. Olatokunbo Arewa, were unsuccessful.
