Meghan and Prince Harry were flown to Nigeria for free by an airline whose president is a wanted fugitive in the United States.
Dr Allen Onyema, founder of Nigerian airline Air Peace, treated the Sussexes to 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 United States, facing multiple charges related to millions of dollars of alleged fraud, outlined in a federal indictment filed in November 2019 .
Air Peace’s Stanley Olisa said the Sussexes were given “free flights” by the CEO, as well as “anything they wanted” because “they’re royals.”
Meghan and Prince Harry toured Nigeria for free on an airline whose president is a wanted fugitive in the United States.
Dr Allen Onyema, founder of Nigerian airline Air Peace, gave the Sussexes free flights during their three-day tour of Nigeria to celebrate 10 years of Harry’s Invictus Games (left, dresses in navy blue)
Meghan was delighted when she received a painting from her beloved young fans.
Harry’s Nigeria Unconquered team ended up losing 21-25 to the Chief of Defense Staff’s team, with all the players being injured servicemen.
The indictment accuses Onyema of allegedly “using his status as a prominent business and airline executive to launder more than $20 million from Nigeria through U.S. bank accounts.”
There is no suggestion that Harry or Meghan knew about Onyema’s story before meeting him.
Mr Olisa told the Mirror: “The planes have been chartered. It was just the members of the royal family and their entourage. They were not flying with other passengers. We understand that they are royals, so we have given them top-notch treatment on board. We gave them everything they wanted. It was an exclusive experience. And we took them back to Abuja in the evening. Everything was free.
He added: “The Chairman of Air Peace offered Prince Harry and his wonderful wife Meghan free return flights to Lagos 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 approximately 12 tons of carbon emissions.
The average annual carbon footprint of a person per year is approximately four tonnes.
This huge figure left some angry at the Sussexes for their hypocrisy, because in 2019, while they were still working in the royal family, the couple 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 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 is also a strong advocate for environmental causes.
In total, the couple and their entourage flew 664 miles aboard the 120-seat plane, generating approximately 12 tons of carbon emissions.
Onyema is accused of using his status as a prominent business executive to launder more than $20 million from Nigeria through U.S. bank accounts.
Harry hears as he urges Invictus athletes – as Meghan looks delighted next to him
Meghan is pictured alongside five other guests as she attended a lunch with the Defense Minister in Abuja, Nigeria.
During the visit, the couple visited a local charity and met military leaders, wounded soldiers and schoolchildren, all of whom greeted them with smiles and enthusiasm.
Robert Murphy, the agent in charge of the DEA’s Atlanta field division, said: “Allan Onyema’s status as a wealthy businessman was proven to be a fraud. He corrupted the American banking system, but his series of deceptions and deceptions stopped in their tracks.
The indictment goes on to allege that Onyema arranged various “seemingly innocent, multimillion-dollar asset purchases that were nothing more than purported fronts for his scam.”
It says Onyema is the founder and chairman of several organizations across Nigeria, including the Ethnic Harmony Foundation, the International Center for Non-Violence and Peace Development and All-Time Peace Media Communications Limited.
Air Peace’s head of administration and finance, Ejiroghene Eghagha, was also charged along with Onyema.
Both men were charged with 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. It is understood, however, that they deny the claims.
Speaking to the Mirror, author Tom Quinn noted that the 72-hour visit confirmed the Duke of Sussex’s family’s worst fears.
Harry – who seemed worried at times – continually cast a watchful eye over his wife as their US and US security team tried to maintain control.
It comes after it was alleged that King Charles was “absolutely furious” that the trip went ahead anyway.
Author Tom Quinn said: “Everything you would expect from an official royal visit was there: the receptions, visits to schools and charities, to wounded soldiers and the disabled.
“Meghan and Harry’s speeches and their entire attitude have been designed to make it seem like they are still fully paid royals and that William and his father, King Charles, don’t like that at all .”
Mr Quinn said 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 work with members of the royal family – we will do it on our own terms when and where we want.”
Royal expert Michael Cole told MailOnline that although the couple received “a private visit from two royal figures”, they “exploited their royal status to the extreme and in every way, trying to give the felt like it was the real thing.”
He said that although the Sussexes’ trip “was not a state visit, an official visit or a royal tour”, it was similar to a “visit proposed by Buckingham Palace and sanctioned by the British government”.
He added that the couple “was so successful that they will return to California very satisfied with their three days in Nigeria.”
Despite this disapproval, the Sussexes now have “other trips planned for the rest of the year” and hope to “share more details in the coming weeks.”
The source added: “It’s entirely possible that they will return to Africa for more tours afterward.”
Sussex and Air Peace have been contacted for comment.
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