Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have clarified that their recent visit to Nigeria was at the invitation of Chief of Defence Staff Christopher Musa, denying any association with U.S. fugitive Allen Onyema, who had offered his airplane for their tour in April.
Close sources to the couple told the Daily Beast that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s Nigerian visit was not connected to Mr. Onyema, who faces allegations of money laundering amounting to $20 million in the U.S. These sources emphasized that Air Peace, a prominent airline in Nigeria and West Africa, operates regular flights to the UK’s Gatwick airport, aiming to downplay any supposed link between the couple and Mr. Onyema.
Mr. Onyema has been previously charged by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia with “bank fraud and money laundering for moving more than $20 million from Nigeria through United States bank accounts in a scheme involving false documents” in 2019. U.S. Attorney Byung J. “BJay” Pak noted in the indictment that Onyema exploited his position as a business leader and airline executive to commit fraud using falsified documents.
Stanley Olisa, a communications lead at Air Peace, highlighted Mr. Onyema’s generosity, stating that the Sussexes received complimentary, chartered flights with special treatment due to their royal status. “The chairman of Air Peace provided Prince Harry and Meghan with free flights to Lagos and back as part of his contribution to their successful visit,” Mr. Olisa told the UK’s Mirror in May.
“The planes were chartered exclusively for the royals and their entourage, without other passengers. Recognizing their royal status, we ensured top-tier treatment on board, giving them an exclusive experience,” Mr. Olisa added. “They were flown back to Abuja in the evening, and everything was complimentary.”
