A legal luminary, A.U. Mustapha, SAN, has formally petitioned the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) over what he describes as “barefaced exploitation and discriminatory airfare pricing” by Overland Airways on the Lagos–Ilorin–Abuja flight route.
The petition, dated August 4, 2025, and sighted by this medium, details how Overland Airways has allegedly exploited its monopoly as the sole commercial airline operating in and out of the General Tunde Idiagbon International Airport, Ilorin.
According to A.U. Mustapha SAN, the airline has leveraged this dominant position to impose cutthroat fares, thereby inflicting financial hardship on passengers, particularly those travelling to and from Ilorin.
In the petition, the Senior Advocate accused Overland Airways of engaging in exploitative, discriminatory, and unjustifiable pricing practices. A major concern raised is the glaring fare disparity on the same flight route using Ilorin as a stopover point.
“The disparities in ticket pricing for the same flight, which merely uses Ilorin as a stopover, have become a source of concern for passengers who ply that flight route,” the petition reads.
The document highlights that Ilorin-bound passengers are consistently charged disproportionately higher fares, even when covering shorter distances. For instance,
Lagos to Abuja (2 hours 15 minutes): ₦160,000
Lagos to Ilorin (50 minutes): ₦260,000
Ilorin to Abuja (55 minutes): ₦300,000
The petitioner referenced several provisions of the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Act, 2018 (Cap C25 LFN 2004), noting that Overland Airways’ pricing strategy amounts to an abuse of dominant market position, as prohibited under Section 72(2)(a) of the Act.
“Abuse of a dominant position includes charging excessive prices to the detriment of consumers,” he emphasized, citing the legal framework underpinning his claims.
The senior advocate urged the FCCPC to:
1. Initiate an investigation into the pricing practices of Overland Airways on the Lagos–Ilorin–Abuja route;
2. Declare the current fare regime discriminatory, excessive, and anti-consumer, in violation of Section 70(1), Section 72(2)(a), Section 124 and 127 of the Act;
3. Invoke the provisions of the act and direct Overland Airways to cease these abusive pricing practices forthwith;
4. Sanction Overland Airways appropriately for its continued disregard of consumer protection standards.
The petition has sparked discussions on social media, especially among regular passengers on the Lagos–Ilorin–Abuja flight route, many of whom have long complained about the high fares and lack of alternative options.
