Air Peace Executes Free Rescue Flight To Abidjan, Repatriates 78 Trafficked Nigerians
Continuing its legacy of humanitarian intervention and national service, West and Central Africa’s largest carrier, Air Peace Limited, embarked on a historic rescue mission on May 10, 2025, deploying a free-of-charge evacuation flight to the Félix Houphouët-Boigny International Airport, Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire.
The flight, operated on the airline’s wide-body Boeing 737 aircraft with registration 5N-BQV, departed the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, at 14:14hrs to evacuate 78 Nigerian women who had fallen victim to human trafficking in the Francophone West African nation.
The aircraft, with a seating capacity of 130, touched down back in Lagos at 22:46hrs, ferrying home the relieved women, many of whom had harrowing stories of exploitation, abandonment, and deceit.
The rescue operation was inspired and spearheaded by the indefatigable and nation-centric Chairman and CEO of Air Peace, Dr. Allen Ifechukwu Onyema, whose reputation for patriotic altruism and compassionate nationalism has resonated far beyond Nigeria’s shores. In April, Dr. Onyema publicly vowed to repatriate the trafficked women at no cost, offering them not only a safe return but also medical and psychosocial support, an uncommon gesture that now stands fulfilled.
“Human trafficking is a blight on our shared humanity,” Dr. Onyema remarked at the airport as the women disembarked in Lagos. “These women were lured with promises and ended up in misery. As an airline of the people, we cannot stand by while Nigerians suffer abroad. We will always rise to the occasion, because love for country and for humanity must compel action.”
The repatriation effort was the fruit of collaboration between Air Peace, the Office of the Chargée d’Affaires of the Nigerian Embassy in Abidjan, and the Nigerian Community in Côte d’Ivoire, whose coordinated efforts ensured the women were documented and cleared for travel.
Chief Michael Emeka Onwuchelu, President of the Nigerian Community in Côte d’Ivoire, lauded Dr. Onyema and Air Peace for their selfless intervention. “What Dr. Onyema has done is beyond CSR. It is godly. For these women, this flight was a miracle. At a time when many look away, Air Peace chose to act. The Nigerian community here is eternally grateful.”
Speaking on behalf of the Nigerian Embassy in Abidjan, Mr. Paul Obi, a senior officer in the Office of the Chargée d’Affaires, commended the airline’s responsiveness.
“It was a race against time. Many of these ladies were undocumented, exposed to abuse, and in dire conditions. This act by Air Peace and its Chairman has restored dignity and hope. We encountered many diplomatic and logistical hurdles, but the airline’s support made this rescue achievable.”
For Dr. Onyema, this mission is not a one-off but part of a larger vision. “We will continue to stand in the gap when Nigerians are in distress, whether in Africa or beyond. We’re not just about flying aircraft; we’re about lifting lives. Our aircraft will always be available for noble causes. The suffering of our people anywhere in the world should concern us all.”
This latest humanitarian flight adds to Dr. Onyema’s long record of magnanimous interventions. In 2019, he made global headlines after Air Peace evacuated 503 Nigerians caught in xenophobic violence in South Africa. During the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, his aircraft facilitated the repatriation of stranded Nigerians across multiple continents. In 2022, Air Peace conducted emergency evacuations during the Ukraine-Russia crisis, and in May 2023, it airlifted 277 Nigerians fleeing the turmoil in Sudan.
Air Peace’s gesture in Abidjan not only reaffirms the airline’s operational excellence but also its moral leadership in the aviation space. At a time when corporate social responsibility often stops at financial donations, Dr. Allen Onyema and his airline are leading by example—redefining what it means to be a flag carrier: one that truly carries the nation’s burdens.
