Meghan and Prince Harry were flown around Nigeria for free by an airline whose chairman is a fugitive wanted in the US.
Dr. Allen Onyema, founder of Nigerian airline Air Peace, provided the Sussex’s with free flights during their three day tour of Nigeria to celebrate 10 years of Harry’s Invictus Games.
However DailyMail.com exclusively revealed that he is also a wanted man in the US, facing multiple charges linked to millions of dollars worth of alleged fraud set down in a federal indictment filed in November 2019.
Stanley Olisa at Air Peace said the Sussexes were given the ‘complimentary flights’ by the CEO, along with ‘everything they wanted’ becasue ‘they are royals’.
Meghan and Prince Harry were flown around Nigeria for free by an airline whose chairman is a fugitive wanted in the US
Dr. Allen Onyema, founder of Nigerian airline Air Peace, provided the Sussex’s with free flights during their three day tour of Nigeria to celebrate 10 years of Harry’s Invictus Games (left dresses in navy)
Meghan was left thrilled as she was presented with a painting by her adoring young fans
Harry’s Nigeria Unconquered team ended up losing 21-25 to the Chief of Defence staff squad with all the players being wounded military personnel
The indictment accuses Onyema of allegedly ‘using his status as a prominent business leader and airline executive to launder more than $20million from Nigeria through US bank accounts’.
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EXCLUSIVE
How Harry and Meghan were welcomed to Nigeria by a fugitive airline boss wanted in the US over $20M money laundering operation
There is no suggestion that either Harry or Meghan were aware of Onyema’s history before they met him.
Mr Olisa told the Mirror: ‘The planes were chartered. It was just the royals and their entourage. They were not flying with other passengers. We understand that they are royals so we gave them top-tier treatment on board. They were given everything they wanted. It was an exclusive experience. And we flew them back to Abuja in the evening. Everything was complimentary.’
He added: ‘The chairman of Air Peace gave Prince Harry and his wonderful wife Meghan free flights to Lagos and back as part of his contribution to the successful hosting of the couple.’
In total the couple and their entourage flew 664 miles on a 120 seat plane creating around 12 tonnes of carbon emissions.
The average annual carbon footprint for one person per year is about four tonnes.
This whooping figure has left some angry at the Sussex’s for being hypocritical, as it 2019, while still working royals, the pair launched the Travalyst initiative.
He spent three years as the public face of the initiative to encourage the tourism industry to become more sustainable – despite a furore over his use of private jets.
Like his father King Charles, who has spoken out for more than 50 years on issues such as sustainability and climate change, Harry has also been a vocal champion of environmental causes.
In total the couple and their entourage flew 664 miles on a 120 seat plane creating around 12 tonnes of carbon emissions
Onyema is accused of using his status as a prominent business leader to launder more than $20million from Nigeria through US bank accounts
Harry hears as he urges on the Invictus athletes – as Meghan looks delighted beside him
Meghan is pictured stodd next to five other female dinner guests as she attended a lunch with Minister of Defence in Abuja Nigeria
During the visit the couple visited a local charity and met with military leaders, injured soldiers and school children, all of whom welcomed them smiles and enthusiasm.
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Meghan and Prince Harry 'are planning to do more royal-style tours this year' after they were delighted by reception to their Nigeria trip
Robert Murphy, the agent in charge of the DEA Atlanta field division said: ‘Allan Onyema’s status as a wealthy businessman turned out to be a fraud. He corrupted the US banking system, but his trail of deceit and trickery came to a skidding halt.’
The indictment goes on to allege that Onyema set up various ‘innocent sounding multi-million-dollar asset purchases which were nothing more than alleged fronts for his scam’.
It states that Onyema is the founder and chairman of several organizations across Nigeria, including the Foundation for Ethnic Harmony, International Center for Non-Violence and Peace Development and All-Time Peace Media Communications Limited.
Air Peace’s Chief of Administration and Finance, Ejiroghene Eghagha, has also been charged along with Onyema.
Both men were charged on one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud, three counts of bank fraud, one count of conspiracy to commit credit application fraud and three counts of credit application fraud. However it is understood that they deny the claims.
Speaking to The Mirror , author Tom Quinn remarked that the whistlestop 72-hour visit ‘confirmed the worst fears’ for the Duke of Sussex ‘s family
Harry – who at times appeared concerned – continually cast a vigilant eye towards his wife as their US and American security team tried to keep control
This comes after it was alleged that King Charles was ‘absolutely furious’ that the trip had taken place anyway.
Author Tom Quinn said: ‘Everything you might expect from an official royal visit was there – the receptions, the visits to schools and charities, to wounded soldiers and the disabled.
‘Meghan and Harry’s speeches and their whole attitude has been designed to give the impression that they are still fully paid-up royals and William and his father King Charles don’t like it one bit.’
Mr Quinn said that Harry and Meghan appear to have ‘gone rogue’, adding ‘for Charles and William, it’s as if Meghan and Harry are saying, ‘We don’t need your permission to be working royals – we will do it on our own terms whenever and wherever we like’.
Royal expert Michael Cole told that although the couple were on ‘a private visit by two royal personages’, they ‘exploited their royal status to the very limit and in every way, trying to give the impression that it was the real thing’.
He said that although the Sussexes’ trip ‘wasn’t a state visit, an official visit or a royal tour’, it seemed like a ‘tour proposed by Buckingham Palace and sanctioned by the British government’.
He added that the couple ‘succeeded to such an extent that they will return to California well satisfied with their three days in Nigeria’.
Despite this disapproval the Sussexes now have ‘other trips planned for the remainder of the year’ and hope to ‘share more details in the coming weeks’.
The insider added: ‘It is definitely possible they could return to Africa for more tours after that.’
The Sussex’s and Air Peace have been approached for comment.