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Onyema Claims Innocence in US Court Indictment

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allen onyema indictment

By Adedapo Adesanya

Mr Allen Onyema, the Nigerian businessman who owns the country’s largest airline, Air Peace, has maintained his innocence after being indicted by a court in the United States for alleged obstruction of justice.

Mr Onyema is charged alongside the airline’s Chief of Finance and Administration, Mrs Ejiro Eghagha, for allegedly participating in the obstruction scheme, as well as in the earlier bank fraud counts.

Air Peace in a statement on Sunday, insisted that the duo are innocent of all accusations.

The airline noted that the latest charges against Onyema and Eghagha are part of an extended legal process stemming from earlier accusations of financial misdeeds that date back several years.

A statement released by the US Attorney’s Office said that Mr Onyema has been charged in a superseding indictment with obstruction of justice for submitting false documents to the government to end an investigation of him that resulted in earlier charges of bank fraud and money laundering.

This adds to an earlier $20 million bank fraud charge against Mr Onyema, which has been on for the last five years.

He was accused of submitting false documents to US authorities in 2019 in an effort to stop the investigation and unfreeze his bank accounts regarding the alleged $20 million bank fraud.

“After allegedly using his airline company as a cover to commit fraud on the United States’ banking system, Onyema, along with his co-defendant, allegedly committed additional crimes of fraud in a failed attempt to derail the government’s investigation of his conduct,” said US Attorney, Mr Ryan K. Buchanan.

In the superseding indictment, Mr Onyema was alleged to have fraudulently transferred more than $44.9 million into his Atlanta-based accounts from foreign sources between 2010 and 2018.

Mr Onyema and Mrs Eghagha were also alleged to have fraudulently applied for export letters of credit for the transfer of funds from a Nigerian bank account to the bank account of Onyema’s Atlanta-Georgia-based firm, Springfield Aviation LLC, between 2016 and 2017.

The letters of credit were purported to fund the purchase of five separate Boeing 737 passenger planes by Air Peace and were supported by documents such as purchase agreements, bills of sale, and appraisals.

“The documents purported to show that Air Peace was purchasing the aircraft from Springfield Aviation Company LLC, a business registered in Georgia.

“However, the supporting documents were allegedly fake – Springfield Aviation Company LLC was owned by Onyema and managed on his behalf by a person with no connection to the aviation business, and Springfield Aviation never owned the aircraft. The company that allegedly drafted the appraisals did not exist,” the statement said.

In its response, the company added that its legal team are fully engaged with the matter and is working tirelessly to ensure that justice prevails.

“Air Peace Limited is aware of the recent media reports concerning our esteemed Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Allen Ifechukwu Onyema and Chief of Finance and Administration, Mrs Ejiro Eghagha in line with the latest legal charges filed by the U.S. Department of Justice. We understand that this may have raised concerns, and we wish to address these reports directly.

“These charges levelled against our post-holders are part of an extended legal process stemming from earlier accusations of financial misdeeds that date back several years.

“While the charges have been expanded, it is essential to emphasize that both Dr Onyema and Mrs Eghagha remain innocent and these are mere allegations, and the case is still in court. Our legal team is fully engaged with the matter and is working tirelessly to ensure that justice prevails. We remain confident that, through due process, the truth will be revealed, and our CEO and co-defendant will be exonerated.

“It is important to note that Dr Onyema and his legal team have consistently cooperated with authorities throughout this process, and Air Peace continues to operate without disruption, upholding our commitment to delivering top-notch services to our valued customers.

“We want to reassure the public that these legal proceedings will not impact the safety, reliability, or day-to-day operations of Air Peace. The dedication and focus of our staff remain steadfast as we continue to provide you with the best aviation experience in Nigeria and beyond.

“We thank our customers and flying public for your continued support and understanding during this time, and we remain committed to serving you with excellence and integrity,” the statement said in parts.

Adedapo Adesanya is a journalist, polymath, and connoisseur of everything art. When he is not writing, he has his nose buried in one of the many books or articles he has bookmarked or simply listening to good music with a bottle of beer or wine. He supports the greatest club in the world, Manchester United F.C.

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Dangote to Produce Plastic Packaging, Textiles as Polypropylene Facility Commences

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dangote Polypropylene

By Adedapo Adesanya

The Dangote oil refinery has commenced operating its polypropylene facility in Lagos.

Polypropylene is a thermoplastic polymer that is commonly used in plastic packaging, textiles, reusable shopping bags,  surgical equipment, household chairs, and kitchen utensils.

According to S&P Global, the starting up of Dangote’s 830,000 metric tonnes per year polypropylene site was one of the last outstanding milestones for the oil refining and petrochemical complex in its commissioning sequence, which has been taking place since January 2024.

“Polypropylene production has now started, with supplies being distributed in 25kg bags, and has already threatened to upend the domestic market,” two market sources had told Platts, part of S&P Global Commodity Insights.

When it becomes operational, the Dangote facility is set to become Africa’s largest polypropylene production site, producing from two polypropylene units with capacities of 500,000 metric tonnes per year and 330,000 metric tonnes per year.

The President of the Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote, previously set out hopes that the complex would fully cover some 250,000 metric tonnes per year of domestic demand for polypropylene.

S&P Global cited that the new capacity could quickly capture market share in the existing polypropylene homopolymer market, which has so far been concentrated at Indorama Eleme’s Port Harcourt refinery in Nigeria and drawn imports from the Middle East.

The company had previously said its $2 billion petrochemical plant located in Ibeju-Lekki, Lagos State, is designed to produce 77 different high-performance grades of polypropylene in the country.

With a turnover of $1.2 billion, the Dangote Petrochemical plant, situated alongside the Dangote Refinery, is positioned to cater to the demands of the growing plastic processing downstream industries, not only in Africa but also in other parts of the world.

Speaking then, Mr Devakumar Edwin, now the Vice President of Dangote Industries Limited, said the Dangote Petrochemical will drive massive investment in the downstream industries, generating huge value addition in the country, creating employment, increasing tax revenues, reducing foreign exchange outflow, and increasing the country’s Gross Domestic Product.

“We have 77 types of polypropylene, which can be used for different purposes, and we can produce it from our petrochemical plant. Currently, the plant is capable of producing about 900,000 tonnes of polypropylene per annum. Our Petrochemical plant should be the biggest in Africa,” he said.

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Lagos PDP Guber Candidate Jandor Returns to APC

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Olajide Adediran Jandor

By Adedapo Adesanya

The candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2023 governorship election in Lagos State, Mr Olajide Adediran, popularly known as Jandor, has announced his return to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Mr Adediran, along with his supporters, switched back to the ruling party on Monday at a media briefing held at Liberty Place, Adeniyi Jones Street, Ikeja, Lagos.

This comes after a closed-door meeting between Jandor and President Bola Tinubu in Aso Rock, Abuja last week, where undisclosed matters were discussed.

Jandor previously resigned from the PDP, citing indiscipline and anti-party activities, betrayal by the party leadership on the eve of the Lagos governorship election.

He also lamented false claims of an alliance that misled PDP supporters into voting for another candidate, presumably the candidate of the Labour Party.

Following his resignation from the opposition party, Mr Adediran, who was previously a member of the ruling party in the state, met President Tinubu in Abuja to inform him of his decision to return to his initial political family.

Before meeting with Mr Tinubu, Jandor also held talks with several political leaders, including former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, former military President Ibrahim Babangida, former Head of State General Abdulsalami Abubakar and 2023 SDP Presidential Candidate, Mr Adewole Adebayo.

Jandor ran alongside popular Nigerian actress, Ms Funke Akindele, but they came third at the 2023 Lagos polls after the incumbent, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu, polled a total of 762,134 votes to emerge the winner of the contest.

The candidate of the Labour Party, Mr Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour, polled 312,329 votes, while the PDP candidate scored 62,449 votes.

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Rivers Assembly May Impeach Fubara, Serves Notice of Gross Misconduct

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fubara present 2024 budget

By Modupe Gbadeyanka

The Rivers State House of Assembly may have commenced the process of removing Governor Siminalayi Fubara from office.

This is because the legislative arm of government in the state has served a notice of alleged misconduct against Mr Fubara and his deputy, Mrs Ngozi Odu.

The Governor had been at loggerheads with a faction of the parliament in the past months, especially because of his fallout with his political godfather and predecessor, Mr Nyesom Wike, who is currently the Minister of the FCT.

Last week, after a Supreme Court judgment, Mr Fubara went to re-present the 2025 budget to the Rivers Assembly led by Mr Martin Amaewhule, but he was locked out.

Last Friday, the Assembly, which has 27 members loyal to Mr Wike, indefinitely adjourned plenary.

In a notice obtained by Channels Television, the state parliament said the decision to serve the Governor the notice was in line with the Nigerian Constitution.

“In compliance with Section 188 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended) and other extant laws, we the undersigned members of the Rivers State House of Assembly hereby forward to you a Notice of Gross Misconduct by the Deputy Governor of Rivers State in the performance of the functions of her office,” the notice read.

Recall that last week, during a media chat, Mr Wike disclosed that heavy would not fall if his successor is impeached by the Rivers Assembly.

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