A court in the United States has renewed an arrest order for Allen Onyema, the Chairman and CEO of Air Peace Airline, over a five-year-old $20 million fraud case.
A federal district court in Northern Georgia reissued the arrest warrant on October 9 after adding new charges to Onyema and his co-defendant, Ejiroghene Eghagha, the airline’s Chief of Administration and Finance.
The new indictment was filed on October 8, including accusations of obstruction of justice and conspiracy to obstruct justice.
After adding the two new counts to the initial 36: conspiracy, money laundering, bank fraud, credit application fraud, identity theft, etc, the total number of charges against Onyema and Eghagha is now 38.
The airline maintains the innocence of both Onyema and Eghagha, insisting the fresh charges would not impact Air Peace’s operations.
Charges Against Onyema
After the indictment, Assistant US Attorney Christopher Huber sought a new arrest warrant for Onyema, as the previous one dated back to 2019 had elapsed. On October 9, a deputy clerk signed this new warrant for the US Marshal.
Before the 2019 charges, a magistrate issued a warrant for Onyema and Eghagha in Canada, permitting their arrest there. Additionally, on November 19, 2019, the US Marshals were ordered to take them into custody.
The 2019 case accuses Onyema of transferring suspicious funds from Nigeria to US bank accounts between 2017 and 2018, disguising these as money for aircraft purchases. Onyema and Eghagha applied for letters of credit to move funds to Onyema’s company, Springfield Aviation LLC, but prosecutors claim the aircraft mentioned were never associated with the company.
In October 2022, a related individual was sentenced to three years of probation for her role in the alleged fraud. Prosecutors assert that Onyema used Springfield Aviation to transfer nearly $15 million from his Nigerian accounts to the US through 27 transactions in 2017, each counted as money laundering.
Air Peace Reassures
Air Peace responded to the new indictment: “Both Mr. Onyema and Eghagha remain innocent, and these are mere allegations… our legal team is fully engaged with the matter.” They explained they are working hard to ensure justice is served, believing the truth will come out, leading to the exoneration of Onyema and Eghagha.
The airline reassured the public that these legal proceedings would not affect its services, stating, “We want to assure the public that these legal proceedings will not impact the safety, reliability, or day-to-day operations of Air Peace.” They affirmed the dedication of their staff to continue providing excellent service to customers in Nigeria and beyond.
Air Peace, founded by Allen Onyema, is one of Africa’s largest privately owned airlines. The airline has made strides in promoting fair competition and challenging the dominance of foreign carriers on the lucrative Nigerian routes. Air Peace has secured landing rights at prime airports in countries like the UAE and the UK, ensuring mutual access similar to what foreign airlines enjoy in Nigeria.
There is no indication yet that Onyema’s legal ordeals are related to his successful efforts at expanding Air Peace’s influence on routes traditionally dominated by international carriers.
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