CEO of Nigerian Airline and Co-Defendant Indicted for Obstruction of Justice


ATLANTA – Allen Onyema, the Chairman, CEO, and founder of Air Peace, a Nigerian airline, has been charged in a superseding indictment with obstruction of justice. The charges stem from his alleged submission of false documents to the government in an effort to derail an ongoing investigation into his earlier charges of bank fraud and money laundering. Ejiroghene Eghagha, the airline’s Chief of Administration and Finance, has also been charged for his role in the obstruction scheme and in the previous bank fraud allegations.

According to U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan, “After allegedly using his airline company to commit fraud against the U.S. banking system, Onyema, with his co-defendant, is accused of trying to obstruct justice by attempting to derail the government’s investigation.” Buchanan emphasized that the diligent work of federal investigators revealed the defendants’ alleged attempt to impede the investigation.

Robert J. Murphy, Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Atlanta Division, noted the continued commitment of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) to identify and hold accountable individuals involved in fraud and money laundering. Lisa Fontanette, Assistant Special Agent in Charge for the IRS Criminal Investigation Atlanta Field Office, stated, “Today’s superseding indictment highlights our dedication to disrupting criminal activities that threaten the U.S. financial system.”

The case has also garnered attention from Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), with Acting Special Agent in Charge Steven N. Schrank stressing the importance of truth in criminal justice proceedings and the commitment of law enforcement to pursue those who exploit the financial system.

According to the superseding indictment and court filings, Onyema, a Nigerian citizen, is accused of using his position as CEO of Air Peace to facilitate fraudulent financial transactions. Between 2010 and 2018, Onyema opened multiple personal and business accounts in Atlanta, allegedly receiving over $44.9 million from foreign sources into these accounts.

In May 2016, Onyema and Eghagha reportedly used a series of fake export letters of credit to facilitate the transfer of over $20 million into their Atlanta accounts. These letters were purportedly intended to fund the purchase of five Boeing 737 passenger planes for Air Peace. However, the supporting documents, including purchase agreements, bills of sale, and appraisals, were allegedly fabricated. The company that supposedly owned the planes, Springfield Aviation Company LLC, was a shell company controlled by Onyema, and the aircrafts did not exist.

Eghagha is said to have assisted in the scheme, instructing a Springfield Aviation manager to sign and submit fraudulent documents to the banks. Following the transfer of funds, Onyema allegedly laundered over $16 million through other accounts.

In 2019, after learning he was under investigation for bank fraud, Onyema and Eghagha allegedly instructed the Springfield Aviation manager to sign a key business contract but without dating it. They later presented this contract, now falsely dated to an earlier time, to the government in an effort to stop the investigation and unfreeze their bank accounts.

Onyema, 61, and Eghagha, 42, were initially indicted on November 19, 2019, on charges of conspiracy to commit bank fraud, bank fraud, credit application fraud, and money laundering. Eghagha was also charged with aggravated identity theft. The superseding indictment, filed on October 8, 2024, adds charges of obstruction of justice and conspiracy to obstruct justice.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Garrett L. Bradford and Christopher J. Huber, with support from the Drug Enforcement Administration, Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, Federal Aviation Administration, and other federal agencies.

This case is part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF), which targets the highest-level criminal organizations threatening the United States. The defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

For further information, the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office can be reached at USAGAN.PressEmails@usdoj.gov or (404) 581-6016. More details are available on the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Georgia website.