Peter Obi Faces Petition for Allegedly Travelling with Passenger Using Fake Identities

A fresh petition has been submitted to the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, calling for an investigation into Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) presidential candidate Peter Obi over allegations that he repeatedly travelled with a passenger who allegedly used fake identities to board flights.

The petition, dated July 12, 2026, was copied to the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

It was written by someone who identified himself as a concerned employee in Nigeria’s aviation industry and requested an urgent investigation into what he described as repeated breaches of aviation security, regulatory compliance and passenger safety involving Obi and a female passenger.

The petitioner alleged that the passenger, described as one of Obi’s media aides, had previously been banned by Air Peace because of repeated misconduct and confrontations at airports. According to the petition, the woman allegedly continued flying on the airline using different names after the ban, with Obi allegedly accompanying her on several occasions.

The petition claimed that despite the airline’s restrictions, Obi allegedly made arrangements that enabled the passenger to continue travelling under different identities.

It stated, “Despite this restriction, Peter Obi made arrangements repeatedly for this media thug to continue travelling under a different name in order to circumvent the airline’s decision. Such conduct by him undermines aviation security, compromises passenger identification procedures, and interferes with our airline’s ability to enforce lawful safety measures.”

The petitioner further alleged that airport staff were repeatedly prevented from carrying out proper identity checks whenever Obi travelled with the passenger.

“Every time we stop her, he prevents us from checking her identity, even after she is reported by our staff on ground. Evidence of these flight tickets have also been attached as he is even on some of the PNR,” the petition stated.

The document cited several alleged incidents to support its claims. It alleged that on one occasion in Lagos, airline officials refused to allow the passenger to board until proper identification was provided but that Obi insisted his own identification should be sufficient for her to travel.

The petition identified one of the names allegedly used by the passenger as Oruche Precious, claiming she travelled under that identity on a flight from Abuja on July 24, 2025, with Passenger Name Record (PNR) 1ERK8S. It also alleged that she later travelled under the name Oguche Obi Precious on another booking identified as PNR 1HRUT2.

According to the petitioner, another passenger identified as Ibrahim Sarah was also involved in one of the alleged incidents.

The petition stated, “She has flown the airline using different names. This can be confirmed during investigation.”

It also claimed that there had been several incidents of disruptive conduct involving the same passenger within airport facilities and onboard aircraft, adding that video recordings, operational records and other materials should be reviewed during an investigation.

The petitioner urged the Minister of Aviation to direct the NCAA and other relevant agencies to conduct a comprehensive investigation into the allegations by reviewing passenger manifests, booking records, CCTV footage, boarding records, airport access logs and any available video evidence.

“If established through investigation, the conduct described may constitute breaches of the Civil Aviation Act, 2022, the Nigeria Civil Aviation Regulations, including applicable aviation security requirements relating to passenger identification, airport security, and compliance with airline security procedures,” the petition read.

The petitioner also asked investigators to determine whether false identities or inaccurate passenger information were used to obtain air travel and whether anyone improperly influenced airline personnel or attempted to bypass established aviation security procedures.

“Take all appropriate regulatory and enforcement measures where violations are established, including referral to the appropriate law enforcement authorities where necessary,” the petition added.

The fresh petition comes about a week after Keyamo demanded a public apology from Obi over claims that his vehicle was unjustly clamped at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja.

The minister had ordered an internal investigation after Obi alleged that the incident formed part of political persecution against him.

After reviewing CCTV footage, Keyamo said Obi’s vehicle was left unattended for about 30 minutes in a designated drop-off zone, contrary to airport regulations. He maintained that airport officials clamped the vehicle without knowing it belonged to the opposition politician.

“Politics aside, every Nigerian is entitled to fair treatment under the law,” Keyamo said.

He added that the vehicle was later released after Obi spoke with an airport manager by telephone, even though the prescribed N25,000 fine had not been paid.

The minister dismissed Obi’s claim that he was singled out for enforcement, insisting that airport officials acted in line with existing regulations.

“What has emerged from this is a clear case of an opposition candidate trying to whip up unnecessary sentiments for a wrong he committed with his driver,” Keyamo said.

He directed Obi to publicly apologise to airport personnel and pay the N25,000 parking fine within one week, warning that failure to comply could lead to further action by the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN).