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Breaking News: U.S. Authorities Deny Dropping Charges Against Air Peace CEO Allen Onyema; New Allegations Surface
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia has refuted recent Nigerian media reports claiming that charges against Air Peace Chairman and CEO, Allen Onyema, and the airline’s Chief of Administration and Finance, Ejiroghene Eghagha, have been dropped. Contrary to these reports, U.S. authorities confirmed that the legal case against Onyema and Eghagha is still very much active, with additional charges now being levied against them.
According to a statement from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, both Onyema and Eghagha are facing new allegations of obstruction of justice in connection with the ongoing federal investigation. Arrest warrants for the two executives remain in effect.
The original indictment, which was issued in 2019, includes 35 counts of bank fraud and money laundering, stemming from accusations that Onyema and Eghagha submitted false documents during a federal probe. The latest charges add to the complexity of a case that has drawn widespread attention both in Nigeria and abroad.
This clarification comes after several Nigerian media outlets inaccurately reported on October 22 that the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia had cleared Onyema of any business fraud. These reports stemmed from a misinterpretation of old claims made by the law firm AO Alegho and Co., which had previously responded to the 2022 sentencing of U.S. citizen Ebony Mayfield, a former employee of Springfield Aviation, a company linked to Onyema.
Mayfield was sentenced to three years’ probation and fined $4,000 after pleading guilty to signing fraudulent documents related to a $20 million Air Peace transaction involving five Boeing 737 aircraft in 2016. While some reports suggested that no bank losses were incurred, U.S. authorities have reiterated that the case against Onyema and Eghagha remains ongoing, with the new obstruction of justice charges adding further complications.
*Lagos Reporters* will continue to follow this developing story closely as more details emerge from the U.S. legal proceedings.