In a dramatic escalation of a long-running legal saga, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has leveled new multimillion-dollar fraud charges against Allen Onyema, the CEO of Nigerian airline Air Peace. Concurrently, a U.S. court has issued an arrest warrant for Onyema’s Chief Financial Officer (CFO).
The latest allegations, detailed in a federal indictment filed in the Eastern District of New York, accuse Onyema of orchestrating a complex scheme involving the purchase of several aircraft using fraudulent documents and false representations. The FBI alleges that Onyema and his associates obtained millions of dollars in loans and financing by falsely claiming that the aircraft were purchased for legitimate commercial use, when in fact, they were intended for personal gain.
The arrest warrant issued for the Air Peace CFO, whose name has not been publicly released, stems from their alleged involvement in the same fraudulent scheme. The CFO is accused of playing a key role in the financial transactions and providing false documentation to support Onyema’s claims.
Onyema, who has been under FBI scrutiny for several years, has previously faced allegations of wire fraud and money laundering. The new charges represent a significant escalation of the case and could have far-reaching implications for Air Peace, one of Nigeria’s largest airlines.
The airline has not yet issued a public statement in response to the latest allegations. It remains to be seen how the arrest warrant for the CFO and the renewed FBI scrutiny will impact Air Peace’s operations and its ability to continue providing services to passengers.
