Dr. Allen Onyema, Chairman of Air Peace, welcomes one of the 78 repatriated Nigerian women at Lagos Airport, reaffirming the airline’s mission of national service and humanitarian support
Dr. Allen Onyema, Chairman of Air Peace Ltd., has described human trafficking as a stain on Nigeria’s collective humanity, reaffirming the airline’s dedication to national service and humanitarian causes.
Onyema made this known following Air Peace’s free repatriation of 78 Nigerian women trafficked from sexual exploitation from Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire. The airline flew the women from Félix Houphouët-Boigny International Airport in Abidjan to Lagos, fully covering all expenses.
This initiative was highlighted in a statement released on Sunday in Lagos by the airline’s spokesperson, Mr. Efe Ovie-Whiskey.
In April, Onyema had publicly pledged to bring the trafficked women back to Nigeria at no cost. He also committed to providing them with medical and psychosocial support upon their return.
“Human trafficking is a blight on our shared humanity. These women were lured with promises, only to find themselves in misery,” Onyema said.
“As an airline of the people, we cannot sit back while our fellow Nigerians suffer abroad. Love for our country and for humanity must always compel action.
“We are not just flying aircraft; we are lifting lives. Our aircraft will always be available for noble causes. The suffering of Nigerians anywhere in the world should concern us all,” he added.
The operation was made possible through collaboration with the Office of the Chargée d’Affaires of the Nigerian Embassy in Abidjan and the Nigerian community in Côte d’Ivoire.
The rescue flight was operated using a wide-body Boeing 737 aircraft with registration 5N-BQV. It departed Lagos’ Murtala Muhammed International Airport at 2:14 p.m. on Friday and landed back in Lagos at 10:46 p.m. the same day.