Prominent Kwara-born legal luminary, A.U. Mustapha, SAN, has petitioned the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC), calling for an urgent investigation into what he described as exploitative and discriminatory airfare practices by Overland Airways on the Lagos–Ilorin–Abuja route.
In the petition dated August 4, 2025, A.U. Mustapha SAN, accused Overland Airways, currently the sole commercial airline operating at the General Tunde Idiagbon International Airport, Ilorin, of abusing its monopoly to impose excessive and unjustifiable fares on passengers.
The Senior Advocate expressed concern over the airline’s alleged manipulation of its dominant position, which he says has resulted in high fares that disproportionately affect travellers, particularly those flying into or out of Ilorin.
He highlighted glaring fare discrepancies on flights using Ilorin as a stopover, noting that passengers covering shorter distances are being charged significantly more. For instance:
Lagos to Abuja (2hr 15mins): ₦160,000
Lagos to Ilorin (50mins): ₦260,000
Ilorin to Abuja (55mins): ₦300,000
“These disparities in ticket pricing for the same flight, which merely uses Ilorin as a stopover, have become a source of concern for passengers,” the petition reads.
Citing relevant provisions of the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Act, 2018 (Cap C25 LFN 2004), the Senior Advocate argued that Overland Airways’ pricing amounts to an abuse of market dominance as prohibited under Section 72(2)(a), which includes charging excessive prices to the detriment of consumers.
Accordingly, he urged the FCCPC to:
1. Launch a full-scale investigation into Overland Airways’ pricing practices on the Lagos–Ilorin–Abuja route;
2. Declare the fare structure discriminatory, excessive, and anti-consumer under Sections 70(1), 72(2)(a), 124, and 127 of the Act;
3. Direct the airline to immediately cease its exploitative pricing;
4. Impose appropriate sanctions for its ongoing breach of consumer protection standards.
The petition has since triggered public debate across social media, with many regular flyers echoing similar complaints and calling for regulatory intervention and alternative airline options on the route.
