U.S. Court Slams Air Peace CFO with Arrest, CEO Onyema Faces Fresh Charges

U.S. Court Slams Air Peace CFO with Arrest, CEO Onyema Faces Fresh Charges

Global News Reports That In a major development, the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia has issued an arrest warrant for Ejiroghene Eghagha, the Chief of Finance and Administration at Air Peace, a leading Nigerian airline. The warrant, issued on October 8, comes amid allegations that Mrs. Eghagha fabricated a fraudulent agreement in an attempt to absolve Air Peace CEO, Allen Onyema, from a $20 million money-laundering and wire fraud case that has persisted since 2019.

The court’s order brands Mrs. Eghagha as a fugitive and calls for her immediate arrest, signaling the escalation of legal actions in the case. The arrest warrant was issued in conjunction with a superseding indictment against Mr. Onyema, who now faces fresh charges related to conspiracy and obstruction of justice. The indictment accuses Mr. Onyema of attempting to manipulate U.S. legal proceedings to prevent the forfeiture of millions of dollars linked to the fraud.

The charges stem from a 2017 transaction in which Mr. Onyema allegedly raised letters of credit through U.S. banks to purchase Boeing aircraft that Air Peace had already acquired. According to the indictment, this maneuver resembled money laundering, as Onyema used fraudulent documentation to justify the letters of credit, enabling him to funnel funds through his company, Springfield Aviation.

Investigators allege that in 2019, Onyema conspired with Mrs. Eghagha to create a backdated contract—the “Aircraft Sales and Management Agreement”—between Springfield Aviation and Air Peace. This contract, which was fabricated to appear as if it had been executed in 2016, was intended to exonerate Onyema from accusations of financial misconduct. The fraudulent contract was later submitted to the U.S. Attorney’s Office in an attempt to halt ongoing forfeiture proceedings.

The indictment further reveals email evidence in which Mrs. Eghagha instructed a Springfield employee, Ebony Mayfield, to sign the falsified contract without dating it. Mayfield complied and returned the signed document to Eghagha, who then passed it to Onyema’s legal team. The U.S. Attorney’s Office has since uncovered these communications, deeming them part of a conspiracy to obstruct justice.

Onyema’s legal woes have intensified with the fresh charges, which reopen what was becoming a dormant case. His bank accounts in the U.S. and Canada remain frozen, with millions of dollars at stake. Despite operating an international airline, Mr. Onyema has been unable to travel to the U.S. due to the arrest warrant issued against him in 2019.

The situation bears resemblance to high-profile cases involving internet fraudsters such as Hushpuppi and Woodberry, both of whom were arrested and extradited to the U.S. Onyema now faces similar risks should he travel to countries with strong ties to the U.S.

This latest development marks a significant blow to Air Peace and its leadership, further complicating Onyema’s efforts to clear his name in the U.S. legal system. The case continues to unfold, with both Onyema and Eghagha facing serious charges that could have wide-reaching implications for the airline and its operations.