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Air Peace Boss, Still A Money Laundering Fugitive In The US – Daily Mail
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s recent trip to Nigeria has taken a new twist, with reports emerging that they were welcomed by and enjoyed the hospitality of a man currently under federal indictment in the United States.
DailyMail.com reports that CEO and Chairman, Air Peace, Dr. Allen Onyema, who played a prominent in receiving the British royals in Nigeria is currently wanted in the United States.
According to the DailyMail.com, the 59-year-old businessman, is facing a series of charges, connected to an alleged fraud scheme totaling millions of dollars, detailed in a federal indictment filed in November 2019.
Despite his legal troubles, Dr. Onyema played a prominent role in the royal couple’s reception, joining a group of dignitaries to greet them upon their arrival in Lagos on may 12.
The 59-year-old businessman faces multiple charges related to a $20 million money laundering and bank fraud scheme.
Amidst the royals arrival in Nigeria, Dr. Onyema, adorned in navy attire with shades and a striking red kufi hat, stood among a select group of dignitaries.
This ensemble, comprising senior military and government officials, greeted Prince Harry and Meghan Markle as they disembarked from their Air Peace aircraft, capturing a momentous occasion in photographs.
Founded by Dr. Onyema over a decade ago, Air Peace continues to operate as the largest airline in West Africa amidst the ongoing controversy.
According to the indictment Dr Onyema is accused of leveraging his prominent status as a business leader and airline executive to launder over $20 million from Nigeria through US bank accounts.
Notably, there is no indication that Prince Harry or Meghan Markle were aware of Dr Onyema’s background prior to their meeting.
Furthermore, it has been revealed that the royal couple initially intended to use a different airline for their trip, but plans were altered last minute.
Former US Attorney Byung J ‘BJay’ Pak, who initiated the charges, has since left office, with the case now under the purview of US Attorney for the Northern District of Georgia, Ryan Buchanan, who assumed the role in 2022.
Pak commented on the case, stating that Dr Onyema allegedly utilized falsified documents to commit fraud while leveraging his status as a prominent business figure and airline executive, a revelation that casts a shadow over the Sussexes’ “private” tour of Nigeria.
Robert Murphy, the agent overseeing the DEA Atlanta field division, remarked, “Allen Onyema’s portrayal as a wealthy businessman turned out to be a facade.
He exploited the US banking system, but his web of deception and manipulation has now been exposed.”
The indictment further alleges that Onyema established several seemingly innocuous multi-million-dollar asset acquisitions, which were purported fronts for his fraudulent activities.
According to the indictment, Onyema holds positions as the founder and chairman of various organizations in Nigeria, including the Foundation for Ethnic Harmony, International Center for Non-Violence and Peace Development, and All-Time Peace Media Communications Limited.
Starting in 2010, Onyema embarked on frequent trips to Atlanta, where he initiated the opening of numerous personal and business bank accounts.
Over the span of eight years, from 2010 to 2018, it is alleged that more than $44.9 million was transferred into his Atlanta-based accounts from overseas sources.
In 2013, Onyema established Air Peace, and the indictment suggests that in subsequent years, he traveled to the United States and acquired multiple aircraft.
The Department of Justice contends that a portion of the funds used for aircraft purchases, totaling over $3 million, originated from bank accounts associated with the Foundation for Ethnic Harmony, International Center for Non-Violence and Peace Development, All-Time Peace Media Communications Limited, and Every Child Limited.
Furthermore, Air Peace’s Chief of Administration and Finance, Ejiroghene Eghagha, faces charges alongside Onyema.
The charges against both individuals include one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud, three counts of bank fraud, one count of conspiracy to commit credit application fraud, and three counts of credit application fraud.
Additionally, Onyema faces 27 separate counts of money laundering, while Eghagha is charged with committing aggravated identity theft in connection with the scheme.
Beginning around May 2016, investigators allege that Onyema and Eghagha orchestrated a scheme using export letters of credit to funnel more than $20 million into Onyema’s Atlanta-based bank accounts. These funds were ostensibly earmarked for the purchase of five Boeing 737 passenger planes for Air Peace.
To support their transactions, the duo provided various documents, including purchase agreements, bills of sale, and appraisals, indicating Air Peace’s acquisition of the aircraft from Springfield Aviation Company LLC, a Georgia-based business. However, investigators assert that these documents were fabricated.
Contrary to the representations made, Springfield Aviation Company LLC, owned by Onyema but managed by an individual with no aviation background, never possessed the aircraft. Additionally, the entity responsible for drafting the appraisals was nonexistent.
In October 2022, Ebony Mayfield, an American citizen and former staff member of Springfield Aviation Company, was sentenced to three years’ probation and fined $4,000 after being charged by the US Attorney for the Northern District of Georgia for her alleged involvement in the scheme.
Dr Onyema and Eghagha continue to face pending charges, with both asserting their innocence in the matter.
Former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar has criticized the federal government’s plan to secure an additional N1.7 trillion loan through Eurobonds to cover a shortfall in the 2024 budget, describing the borrowing as unsustainable and harmful to Nigeria’s economy.
In a statement shared on Thursday via his X (formerly Twitter) handle, Atiku accused the Bola Tinubu-led administration of burdening Nigerians with debt while failing to provide clear answers about the country’s fiscal challenges.
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He also faulted the National Assembly for enabling what he called a “voracious appetite” for loans.
The former Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate expressed alarm over a recent World Bank report ranking Nigeria as the third most indebted country to the International Development Association (IDA), calling the development troubling.
“The recent report released by the World Bank, showing Nigeria as the third most indebted country to the International Development Association (IDA), is very concerning,” Atiku stated.
He raised further concerns about the government’s decision to benchmark the proposed loan at an exchange rate of 1 USD to N800, despite the Central Bank of Nigeria’s official rate being over N1,600.
“What makes this particular loan proposal even more concerning is that it is benchmarked at the exchange rate of 1 USD to N800, whereas the current exchange rate from the Central Bank of Nigeria stands at over N1,600 to 1 USD,” he said.
Atiku questioned the need for additional borrowing, given the government’s earlier claims of record-high revenue collection.
“In July this year, Tinubu boasted that the FIRS and Customs under his watch had collected all-time high revenues to finance the budget. Why are they still borrowing?” he said
He accused the government of a lack of transparency, describing the borrowing spree as detrimental to Nigerians already struggling under economic hardship.
“There is something that they are not telling Nigerians, even as they are being crushed by a combination of their failed trial-and-error policies and loan rackets.”
Atiku also referenced a report by BudgIT, a budget monitoring group, which criticized the 2024 budget for its inefficiencies.
He alleged that corruption, rather than infrastructure or development needs, was driving the government’s borrowing decisions.
“These loans are powered by corruption and not for infrastructure and development needs. This voracious appetite for humongous loans is deeply concerning,” he said.
Reflecting on Nigeria’s financial history, Atiku lamented the return to significant foreign indebtedness just years after former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s administration cleared the country’s debt.
“It is agonizing to see that just a few years after the Obasanjo administration took us out of foreign indebtedness, we are today back at the top spot in the same conundrum,” he stated.
He called for a more cautious approach to borrowing, urging the government to prioritize fiscal responsibility and transparency to avoid worsening Nigeria’s economic challenges.
The International Criminal Court (ICC) has taken a historic step, issuing arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant.
The charges include crimes against humanity and war crimes allegedly committed during Israel’s recent assault on Gaza.
In a detailed statement, the ICC accused the Israeli leaders of “intentionally and knowingly depriving the civilian population in Gaza of objects indispensable to their survival, including food, water, and medicine and medical supplies, as well as fuel and electricity.”
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The ICC’s move marks a significant escalation in international scrutiny of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Netanyahu and Gallant are alleged to have orchestrated policies that caused severe harm to the civilian population in Gaza, leading to widespread condemnation from human rights organizations.
Alongside the charges against Israeli officials, the ICC also issued an arrest warrant for Hamas military commander Mohammed Deif. Deif has long been a central figure in Hamas’s military operations. Israel’s military claims to have killed him in a July airstrike, although this has not been independently verified.
The warrants highlight growing calls for accountability amid the ongoing conflict in the region. The ICC’s actions are likely to provoke heated debate and may complicate diplomatic efforts aimed at resolving the crisis.
With the warrants issued, global attention now turns to how the international community will respond and whether any practical steps will be taken to enforce them.
Governor Monday Okpebholo of Edo State has inaugurated a 12-member committee tasked with recovering government vehicles reportedly in private hands.
The committee, led by Kelly Okungbowa, has been given a two-week mandate to retrieve the vehicles and ensure their return to the state government.
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Speaking during the inauguration ceremony in Benin City, Governor Okpebholo emphasized the importance of accountability in the management of public resources.
He urged the committee to carry out its assignment thoroughly and within the bounds of the law.
In his response, Okungbowa expressed gratitude to the governor for entrusting the team with the assignment, vowing to deliver results within the stipulated timeframe.
“A lot of vehicles used by the past administration are missing, as those in custody of the vehicles have refused to return them,” Okungbowa said.
“The governor deemed it fit to inaugurate us today with a mandate to recover all government vehicles in private hands.”
The committee, which includes representatives from Edo’s three senatorial districts, is set to investigate and recover the vehicles based on credible intelligence already at their disposal.
“We already have vital information regarding some persons still holding government vehicles,” Okungbowa stated. “We will do the job according to the law, and both the government and the people will be satisfied with the outcome.”
He also called on members of the public to assist the committee by providing information about any government vehicles that may still be in private possession.
“We want to appeal to members of the public who might be aware of anyone still keeping government vehicles in their houses to please inform us to enable the committee to recover such for the Edo State Government,” Okungbowa said.
The committee’s vice chairman, Rt. Hon. Victor Edoror, a former Speaker of the Edo State House of Assembly, will work alongside other members to ensure the success of the initiative. The public can reach the committee at 08110165121.
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