New charges add to ongoing legal battles faced by Air Peace's Allen Onyema and Ejiroghene Eghagha.
An Air Peace 737 (Photo: Anna Zvereva, CC BY-SA 2.0
Allen Ifechukwu Athan Onyema, the founder and Chief Executive Officer of Air Peace, Nigeria’s largest private airline, and the airline’s Chief of Administration and Finance, Ejiroghene Eghagha, face fresh legal challenges in the United States. Both have been charged with obstruction of justice, according to an announcement by the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) on October 11, 2024.
The charges allege that Onyema and Eghagha submitted fraudulent documents to U.S. authorities in a bid to thwart an ongoing investigation. This investigation, initially related to previous accusations of bank fraud and money laundering, has now expanded to include additional charges of obstruction.
The prosecution is a collaborative effort involving multiple U.S. agencies, such as the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Internal Revenue Service (IRS), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the Department of Commerce, and the U.S. Treasury. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Garrett L. Bradford and Christopher J. Huber are leading the case.
U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan emphasized the gravity of the new charges, stating, “Onyema, alongside his co-defendant, is accused of taking steps to mislead investigators and obstruct the government’s ongoing case. The work of our federal law enforcement agencies has been crucial in exposing this scheme, ensuring those responsible are held accountable.”
Robert J. Murphy, Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Atlanta Division, also commented on the case, saying, “This is yet another example of the DEA’s commitment to rooting out individuals involved in financial crimes and money laundering.”
Similarly, Lisa Fontanette, Assistant Special Agent in Charge at the IRS Criminal Investigation division in Atlanta, said, “The latest indictment reflects the dedication of IRS-CI agents and our law enforcement partners in dismantling fraudulent operations.”
In response to these charges, Air Peace released a statement on October 13, 2024, acknowledging the situation surrounding its CEO and Eghagha. The airline’s statement, shared on its social media platform X, read: “Air Peace is aware of the latest legal developments involving our Chairman and CEO, Dr. Allen Ifechukwu Onyema, and our Chief of Administration and Finance, Mrs. Ejiro Eghagha. These allegations relate to legal proceedings from several years ago.”
The statement continued, “While new charges have been added, we reiterate that both Dr. Onyema and Mrs. Eghagha are innocent until proven otherwise. Their legal teams are actively addressing the situation, and we are confident that justice will prevail. Throughout this process, Air Peace remains operational and committed to providing high-quality service to our customers.”
Allen Onyema’s legal battles with the U.S. first made headlines in November 2019, when he was charged with bank fraud and money laundering. U.S. prosecutors alleged that Onyema had used Air Peace as a front for fraudulent activities, channeling around $20 million through the U.S. banking system. Ejiro Eghagha was also implicated, facing charges of bank fraud and identity theft.
According to the DOJ’s earlier statement, Onyema opened several personal and business bank accounts in the U.S. between 2010 and 2018, receiving substantial sums from international sources. Between 2016 and 2018, it was alleged that Onyema and Eghagha manipulated export letters of credit to transfer over $20 million to U.S. accounts, purportedly for the purchase of Boeing 737 aircraft for Air Peace. The transactions were said to be based on falsified documents.
One key element in the case was the role of Springfield Aviation Company LLC, an entity allegedly linked to Onyema. The company was supposedly used to funnel funds through the banking system, despite not owning any of the aircraft involved in the transaction.
The latest charges against Onyema and Eghagha focus on actions allegedly taken to obstruct the DOJ’s investigation. According to the indictment, Onyema instructed a Springfield Aviation manager in 2019 to sign a business contract and later present the contract as evidence, backdated to 2016. The backdated document was purportedly aimed at deceiving U.S. authorities and preventing the freezing of Onyema’s accounts.
Founded in 2013 by Onyema, Air Peace has grown into Nigeria’s largest private airline. It operates a range of services, including domestic and international flights, with a current fleet that includes 11 Boeing 737 aircraft, as well as five Embraer 195-E2s. The rest of the fleet comprises of a 777-200ER, two 777-300s, and six ERJ145s operated by its domestic subsidiary Air Peace Hopper.
Despite the legal challenges surrounding its leadership, Air Peace has continued to expand its operations, including plans for additional aircraft acquisitions in the near future that include five E175s and ten Boeing 737 MAX 8s.
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