Air Peace Limited has announced the completion of a rescue operation that successfully repatriated 78 Nigerian women who were trafficked to Côte d’Ivoire under misleading employment offers.
The airline deployed a Boeing 737 aircraft (registration 5N-BQV) that took off from Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos on Saturday, landing at Félix-Houphouët-Boigny International Airport in Abidjan before returning the same day with the victims, all at no cost.
Upon their return, Air Peace’s Chairman, Allen Onyema, offered assurances that the Federal Government would support the women.
He conveyed that President Bola Tinubu is pleased with their safe return to Nigeria and alleviated any concerns regarding potential arrests by stating that government officials were present to welcome them.
Onyema encouraged the returnees to have faith in their potential, stressing that the government had taken the initiative to facilitate their repatriation.
He expressed regret for the deception they had suffered, stating, “We are very sorry that some people deceived you; you don’t deserve to be deceived. You are human beings like any other person, and you can be all you want to be.”
He urged them not to undervalue themselves, stating, “We don’t need to do the wrong thing to become whatever we want to become. We are bearing you back to rehabilitate you and reintegrate you into the Nigerian society.”
Onyema highlighted that any of them could aspire to be a leader, asserting, “You can be a governor. We don’t need to sell our bodies to do anything.”
He reinforced the necessity of restoring the dignity of the rescued women, noting, “These women have endured unimaginable hardship. They deserve not just to be brought home, but to be treated with care and respect.”
In further support, Onyema announced that the women would be provided comprehensive medical care, free of charge, at Duchess Hospital.
This humanitarian flight adds to Onyema’s established history of philanthropic efforts.
In 2019, he garnered international attention when Air Peace evacuated 503 Nigerians from xenophobic violence in South Africa. During the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, the airline facilitated the repatriation of stranded Nigerians globally.
In 2022, they conducted emergency evacuations amid the Ukraine-Russia crisis, and in May 2023, Air Peace airlifted 277 Nigerians escaping the crisis in Sudan.