The Federal High Court in Abuja has confirmed that the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) holds the legal authority to look into passenger grievances regarding airline ticket costs. Justice Binta Nyako ruled on June 29 that the commission’s right to conduct inquiries under the 2018 Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Act is entirely separate from the authority to set or regulate prices.
This decision follows a legal challenge by Air Peace, which had argued that the commission was overstepping its bounds by seeking information on airfare spikes observed in late 2024. The airline contended that the FCCPC could only investigate pricing if the President of Nigeria had already triggered specific price regulation protocols. Justice Nyako rejected this premise, noting that the commission never ordered a price reduction or established a new fare structure. Instead, the court clarified that the request for information was a standard, lawful investigative step.
The ruling echoes a previous judgment from April 2026, where Justice James Omotosho dismissed a similar argument from the airline. By upholding the FCCPC’s investigative role, the court determined that barring such inquiries would cripple the commission’s ability to protect consumers. Tunji Bello, the CEO of the FCCPC, welcomed the verdict, emphasizing that fact-finding investigations are not the same as punitive enforcement or price fixing. He reaffirmed the agency’s dedication to operating transparently while fulfilling its duty to monitor market conduct.
