Foreign
US court sentences Allen Onyema’s alleged fraud conspirator to 3 years probation
A United States court on Friday sentenced a self-confessed conspirator in the alleged $20 million fraud allegedly organised by Air Peace CEO, Allen Onyema, to three years’ probation.
The court also awarded $4,000 as fine against Ebony Mayfiled, who, had in June, pleaded guilty to the charge of signing and submitting fake documents to facilitate the alleged fraud.
The US government accused her of signing and submitting the fabricated documents between 2016 and 2018, to help Mr Onyema, owner of Air Peace, a major Nigerian commercial airline, to move $20 million from Nigeria to the US in an alleged money laundering scheme.
She was charged in 2019, and she initially pleaded “not guilty” to all eight charges at the District Court for the Northern District of Georgia in Atlanta.
But she changed her plea to plead guilty to one of the charges in June, after entering into a plea agreement that saw the US government drop the seven remaining charges against her.
The law under which she was charged provided for maximum five years jail term for the offence she pleaded guilty to.
Following her guilty plea, her lawyer filed for a variance of sentence on 13 October, begging to be sentenced to a probated sentence or what is called supervised release, instead of imprisonment.
Reports said on Friday that the US government, in its response, agreed to a lower limit of sentence range, which includes house detention for six months.
At the sentencing on Friday, the judge, Eleanor Ross, after discussing the pre-sentence report with lawyers to the parties, and listening to Ms Mayfield briefly, imposed “a total of THREE (3) YEARS of probation” on her.
The judge also ordered “$4,000 fine (the interest is waived); $100 special assessment; and additional requirements.”
He also gave her limited appellate rights, and noted that she was ready on bail.
‘Supervised release’
The court’s decision is a concession to the defendant’s request for probated sentence or what her lawyer called conditional release.
The defence lawyer, Manubir Arora, had said “imprisonment is not the only form of punishment” and stressed that “probation alone is a viable alternative form of punishment.”
Under the probated sentence, Ms Mayfield’s lawyers said, her travel would be restricted and her associations would be regulated.
She would also be subject to random searches of her person and premises and subject to other special conditions such as house arrest and intermittent confinement.
A probation officer would also be appointed to monitor her during the three years period.
“In Ms Mayfield’s case, probation serves all the goals of sentencing even though the guidelines may call for imprisonment,” her lawyer wrote.
Hoping “to put this unfortunate series of choices behind her,” she confessed that Mr Onyema paid her a total of $20,000 for the part she played in the scheme between 2016 and 2018.
She also said her participation in the alleged crime brought shame upon her family.
I’m innocent – Onyema
Again, Mr Onyema, denied any wrongdoing regarding the allegations on Friday.
Mr Onyema and another official of Air Peace, Ejiroghene Eghagha, maintained their innocence in a press release by their lawyers.
The statement by A.O. Alegeh & Co law firm was silent on the 36 charges of fraud and money laundering still pending against Mr Onyema and his co-defendant at the same court where Ms Mayfield was prosecuted.
But they maintained in their press release that the fact that Ms Mayfield was not given any prison sentence, confinement or home detention by the court confirmed that there was no fraud in the $20 million deal.
“This confirms the position of our clients that there was no fraudulent intent in all the Letters of Credit, there was no victim in any way, manner or form.
“All the funds involved were legitimate funds belonging to Our Clients. There was no loss of money or any damage whatsoever to any third party,” the press statement read.
It added that the US government, which has yet to terminate the pending 36 charges against Mr Onyema and his co-defendant, “admitted in court today that no bank suffered any financial loss in this matter.”
The statement also denied that Mr Onyema paid Ms Mayfield $20,000 for her roles in the alleged fraud.
PREMIUM TIMES reported that Ms Mayfield had claimed she received $20,000 while she participated in “the conspiracy” between 2016 and 2018.
Denying the claim, Mr Onyema’s lawyers said: “Our Clients never took loans or credit from any US Bank and Ebony was never paid the sum of $20,000.00 at any time to commit any fraud, as is being peddled by a section of the Nigerian Press. Ebony, like other Springfield Aviation Company Inc. staff was only paid her bi-weekly salary and/or allowances.
“These stories are far from the truth and are deliberately being peddled by a section of the Nigerian Press for ulterior motives.”
The statement insisted that “all steps taken in respect of the Letters of Credit were taken in good faith and with legitimate funds.”
“All the aircraft involved were brought into Nigeria abd utilised in the operations of Air Peace Limited. There was no victim. There was no loss of funds to any person and there was no criminal intent whatsoever.”
The law firm added that various law enforcement agencies in Nigeria had reviewed the case and “no evidence of criminality has been established against our Clients.”
Mayfield’s case closed, Mr Onyema’s charges remain
Ms Mayfield’s sentencing on Friday brought her trial to conclusion, the judge said.
But the separate case in which Mr Onyema and an Air Peace official are charged remains.
Mr Onyema and Air Peace Limited’s Head of Administration and Finance, Ejiroghene Eghagha, still have 36 charges of fraud and money laundering pending against them since 2019 at the same court.
Prosecutors said Mr Onyema engaged, Ms Mayfield, a bartender and nightclub dancer, as a manager for his Atlanta, Gerogia-based Springfield Aviation Company LLC in 2016.
The Air Peace founder set up the firm to, purportedly, “specialise in the wholesaling, trading, and sale of commercial aircraft and parts”.
But the US government said, Mr Onyema engaged Ms Mayfield to enter into aviation-related contracts on behalf of Springfield Aviation, despite her lack of education, training, or licensing in the review and valuation of aircraft and aircraft components.
In her plea bargain that she filed in June, Ms Mayfield confessed to signing and submitting fake documents enabling a $20 million credit disbursement from Nigeria to US bank accounts, purportedly for Air Peace to buy five Boeing 737 passenger planes from Springfield Aviation.
The fake documents allegedly submitted by the conspirators included fabricated purchase agreements, bills of sale, and valuation.
Both Air Peace, a major Nigerian commercial airline, and the purported aircraft seller, Springfield Aviation, are owned by My Onyema.
Prosecutors alleged that the aircraft referenced in the letters of credit and other fake documents submitted with respect to the deal were already owned by Air Peace. None of them ever belonged to Springfield Aviation, the prosecution said
They also alleged that Mr Onyema founded and used Springfield Aviation “to facilitate large transfers of funds from his Nigerian bank accounts to the United States.”
Mr allegedly moved about $15 million from Springfield Aviation’s account with a Wells Fargo Bank branch in Atlanta, Georgia, to his personal savings account with the same bank in 27 transactions in 2017.
The flagged 27 transactions took place between 22 March and 29 November 2017.
Mr Onyema and Air Peace Limited’s Head of Administration and Finance, Ejiroghene Eghagha, are facing 36 charges at the District Court in Atlanta, in connection with the alleged $20 million fraudulent scheme.
Among the charges preferred against them are bank fraud, credit application fraud and money laundering.
Each of the flagged 27 online transfers carried out by Mr Onyema within nine months in 2017 involved values ranging from $100,000 to $1 million.
The transactions totalled $15.14 million.
Each of the 27 transactions stands alone as a charge of money laundering.
Under the money laundering charges, prosecutors alleged that both Messrs Onyema and Eghagha, aided and abetted by others, “attempted to engage in a monetary transaction” involving a financial institution, with effect on “interstate and foreign commerce”.
They alleged that each of the transactions involved more than $10,000 “criminally derived from unlawful activities” including bank fraud and credit application fraud.
In November 2020, the government of the state of Georgia dissolved Springfield Aviation over its failure to file its annual registration and/or failure to maintain a registered agent or registered office in this state.
Mr Onyema denied all the allegations of fraud levelled against him when the charges against him were unveiled by the US government in 2019.
Although he said the charges did not reflect his personality as a business owner, he and his co-defendant have yet to appear in court. (PREMIUM TIMES)

The Nigerian community in the United States has been thrown into mourning following the sudden death of Eric Ezeokoli, a student of California State University, Long Beach.
Ezeokoli, who was born on October 6, 1960, reportedly died on Friday, April 11, 2026, at Saint Mary’s Hospital after a brief illness.
Until his death, he was studying Engineering at the university, also known as Long Beach State University. Sources disclosed that he had previously lived in San Jose before relocating to the Los Angeles area.
Tragically, at the time of his passing, Ezeokoli was said to be homeless and living in his car, with no fixed address.
The deceased was originally from Anambra State, although details about his exact hometown remain unclear. There are indications he may have hailed from Aguata, but this has not been officially confirmed.
Efforts are currently underway to locate his family members and relatives in Nigeria. Members of the Nigerian community and concerned individuals are appealing to anyone with useful information about Ezeokoli’s background or family to come forward.
A contact person, Paul Kizito Eze, has been designated to receive information that could help trace the deceased’s relatives.
The appeal has also been extended to people from Anambra State, particularly those familiar with communities in Aguata, to assist in identifying and notifying the family.
The situation has sparked renewed concern over the welfare of some Nigerians living abroad, especially those facing hardship and isolation.
Anyone with relevant information is urged to reach out urgently to assist in reconnecting the late Ezeokoli with his family for proper burial arrangements.
President Donald Trump doubled down Monday on his threat to wreck Iran’s civilian infrastructure, warning US forces could destroy every bridge and power plant in the country within four hours and that a truce proposal from international mediators was not yet enough.
Five weeks into the Middle East war triggered by a joint US-Israeli air assault on Tehran, the US leader has demanded that Iran reopen the Strait of Hormuz to international shipping by midnight GMT on Tuesday, or face a newly devastating round of bombing.
Both Trump and Iran have said that a proposal touted by international mediators for a 45-day ceasefire is not yet ready, and in a Washington press conference, the US president dialled up his warlike rhetoric once again.
“We have a plan — because of the power of our military — where every bridge in Iran will be decimated by 12 o’clock tomorrow night, where every power plant in Iran will be out of business, burning, exploding and never to be used again,” Trump said.
Trump had earlier accepted the ceasefire plan was a “significant proposal”, but went on to say it was not good enough. Iranian state media quotes officials stating that Tehran too “has rejected a ceasefire and insists on the need for a definitive end to the conflict”.
Trump said intermediaries “are negotiating now” on improving the ceasefire proposal, which US media reported was being mediated by Pakistan, Egypt and Turkey.
Iran’s military said it would “continue the war as long as the political authorities see fit”.
Trump’s latest threats, including a profanity-laced social media post on Sunday, have sent shockwaves through the international community.
International Committee of the Red Cross chief Mirjana Spoljaric warned that “deliberate threats… against essential civilian infrastructure” are illegal.
But talk of a ceasefire came as the US and Israel were striking targets across Iran, including major petrochemical facilities, and as Iran continued missile and drone attacks around the region.
Iran’s virtual blockade of Hormuz has sent oil and gas prices soaring and pushed countries around the world to enact measures to contain the fallout.
Earlier Monday, Israeli strikes had hit major Iranian petrochemical facilities, including in Asaluyeh on the Gulf coast, the country’s biggest, and another outside Shiraz in central Iran.
Israel’s military said it had also struck Iranian air force targets, including planes and helicopters at airports in Tehran and elsewhere.
Iran’s Guards posted on Telegram on Monday that their intelligence chief Majid Khademi, had been killed at dawn in US-Israeli strikes.
Israel’s military also said it had killed Asghar Bagheri, commander of the Guards’ Quds Force special operations unit, on Sunday.
“We will reach anyone who seeks to harm us,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said.
The Guards’ Intelligence Organisation vowed a “major retaliatory strike” against those responsible for killing their commanders, their official Sepah News website reported.
Yemen’s Houthi rebels said they launched an attack targeting Israel, supporting their backer Iran and Lebanon’s Hezbollah.
The war, which erupted on February 28 with US-Israeli strikes on Iran that killed Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has engulfed the Middle East and roiled the global economy.
The worldwide oil squeeze has hit aviation, with Indonesia on Monday saying it would increase a jet fuel surcharge and low-cost carrier Air Asia X announcing ticket price hikes of up to 40 per cent.
South Korea will send ships to fetch oil from Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea port of Yanbu, avoiding Hormuz altogether, a ruling party MP said, while Taiwan’s government said it too would take the Red Sea route.
Gulf nations allied with the US have also been sucked into the war, with Kuwait and the UAE reporting strikes and injuries from Sunday to Monday.
Iran has continued to launch attacks at Israel, where the military and medics said four bodies were recovered from a residential building in the northern city of Haifa that was struck by a missile.
Iranian media reported several attacks on residential areas of Tehran, while the state broadcaster said gas outages hit parts of the capital after a strike on a university.
AFP
Some Nigerians in India have raised the alarm over what they described as increased racial profiling and brutalisation by the Indian police.
They lamented visa regularisation challenges and high renewal fees, which they said had made life unbearable in the Asian country.
Some of the residents alleged that some Nigerian students were physically assaulted, adding that reporting to the authorities had changed nothing.
NANS issued a seven-day ultimatum to the Federal Government for urgent diplomatic engagement, warning that it would escalate advocacy actions nationwide if the issues were not addressed.
Speaking with journalists during the demonstration, the NANS Vice President (Special Duties), Abubakar Mallawa, decried the alleged ill-treatment of Nigerians, adding that the association had received multiple distress reports from students in Indian cities, particularly Mumbai, over visa challenges, discriminatory practices and systematic profiling.
He noted that the affected students and other Nigerians engaged in legitimate businesses had faced difficulties in renewing visas, mass arrests linked to immigration status, denial of rental accommodation based solely on nationality, closure of Nigerian-owned shops, confiscation of goods, and, in some cases, forceful entry into residences and detention under degrading conditions.
The group also raised concerns over the visa application process, alleging that Nigerian applicants were often required to pay interview and processing fees but denied visas without clear explanations.
In a recent interview on Arise TV, the National Secretary of NANS, Anzaku Shedrack, said the group had been receiving disturbing videos showing the brutalisation of Nigerians in several parts of India, and called on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to intervene.
A video clip played by the tv station showed some suspected Indians attacking and stoning an individual, said to be a Nigerian, on the floor.
In an interview with Saturday PUNCH, the Education Coordinator of the Association of African Students in India, Rajasthan chapter, Abisola Williams, said Nigerians were going through tough times in India.
Williams also admitted that Nigerian students were seriously affected by regularisation challenges.
The third-year physiotherapy student explained that India does not grant permanent residency to international students.
“It’s either you’re a student or a professional with a work visa. As for Nigerians, we have to renew our visas every year, as students or professionals,” she said.
Williams noted that Indian authorities reserved the right to deny visa extensions to students who failed to meet academic or financial obligations.
Another Nigerian student in Delhi, who spoke on condition of anonymity, alleged that Nigerians were required to pay 10,000 rupees (about N146,000) every three months to renew their visas, a fee she claimed is lower for students from other African countries.
“Other students from other African countries do not pay for it. We were told it was an agreement between the Indian and Nigerian governments for students to pay every three months. I know Zimbabweans who are not paying to renew visas, while Ghanaians pay a maximum of 500 rupees, which is about N8,000. This is just unfair. That’s the cross Nigerians bear to regularise their stay in India. They don’t give us enough time to raise the money. But for other nationals like Zimbabweans, they get about eight months before their next visa expires,” the student said.
She added that the fee was not disclosed during visa processing in Nigeria and that many students only became aware of it after arriving in India.
The student further alleged that Indian police actively track Nigerians, whose visas had expired, leading to arrests, intimidation and deportation.
“When my visa was about to expire, I went to renew it, but was surprised to learn it was 10,000 rupees. After that, the police came looking for me because I had not renewed my visa.
“I have seen male students who were bullied and harassed because of this. They don’t believe we live by the rules. Anything that goes wrong is attributed to Nigerians, and it’s unfair.
“There are people who have faced serious injustice in the hands of these officers. Some were taken to deportation camps. I knew someone who was deported to Nigeria for this,” she said.
Drug crimes in India
No fewer than 50,000 Nigerians are believed to be resident in India.
Analysts believe that the Nigerian community is being targeted due to increased arrests of some people from the country for alleged drug trafficking.
In 2024, Indian agencies arrested 660 foreign nationals for drug-related crimes.
No fewer than 106 of the suspects were reported to be Nigerians, the second highest. Nepal was first on the list with 203 nationals.
Also, 2,356 Nigerians were deported by India between 2019 and 2024, with removals quadrupling from 339 in 2021 to 1,470 in the 2023-2024 fiscal year.
Nigerians are police informants – Diplomat
But a diplomat in India said some Nigerians were being used as informants by the Indian police.
The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, alleged that such people were usually induced with money.
“Fellow Nigerians report one another to the police when they have disputes. They become informants because the authorities give them a share. When Nigerians are arrested, the police extort money from them, and the informants take a cut. These practices put the country in a bad light,” the source said.
The source also urged Nigerians to comply with local laws.
The official added, “People should ask why Nigerians are being maltreated. What offence did they commit? You are in another country and must obey their laws. Some individuals have overstayed for years without valid visas. Once caught, there may be consequences.”
On the quarterly visa renewal, the official said the issue also affects Nigerian diplomats and called for reciprocal measures.
“As diplomats, our families renew visas yearly. It is an issue we have raised at the highest level, but nothing has been done. The best approach is reciprocity. We should ensure their families get similar terms, while we consider shorter durations for their students.”
PUNCH
The UK Home Office has announced increases in fees for a wide range of visas, residency applications, and citizenship processes, effective April 8, 2026.
The revised fee schedule shows hikes across nearly all categories of applications made both within and outside the United Kingdom. The changes will impact Nigerians and other foreign nationals seeking to visit, study, work, or settle in the UK.
Nigeria remains one of the largest sources of visa applicants to the UK, with hundreds of thousands applying annually for visit, student, and work visas.
Under the new structure, the short-term visit visa (up to six months) will increase from £127 to £135, while student visa fees will rise from £524 to £558. Applicants seeking indefinite leave to remain will now pay £3,226, up from £3,029. Similarly, the cost of naturalising as a British citizen will increase from £1,605 to £1,709.
In a rare exception, the fee for registering a child as a British citizen has been reduced from £1,214 to £1,000—a decrease of £214. Most other fees have either increased or remained unchanged. Notably, fees for the Tier 1 (Investor) visa and the High Potential Individual visa remain unchanged at £2,000 and £880 respectively.
Breakdown of Key Changes
Visit Visas:
Short-term (up to 6 months): £127 → £135
Long-term (2 years): £475 → £506
Long-term (5 years): £848 → £903
Long-term (10 years): £1,059 → £1,128
Visiting academic (over 6 months up to 12 months): £220 → £234
Private medical treatment (over 6 months up to 11 months): £220 → £234
Direct airside transit visa: £39 → £41.50
Landside transit visa: £70 → £74.50
Student Visas:
Student (main applicant and dependants): £524 → £558
Child Student: £524 → £558
Short-term student (English language): £214 → £228
Work Visas:
Skilled Worker (up to 3 years): £769 → £819
Skilled Worker (over 3 years): £1,519 → £1,618
Health and Care Visa (up to 3 years): £304 → £324
Health and Care Visa (over 3 years): £590 → £628
Innovator Founder: £1,274 → £1,357
Start-up: £465 → £495
Scale-up: £880 → £937
High Potential Individual: unchanged at £880
Graduate Route: £880 → £378.72
Settlement and Indefinite Leave:
Route to settlement: £1,938 → £2,064
Indefinite leave to remain: £3,029 → £3,226
Visitor extension (in-country): £1,100 → £1,172
Leave to remain – other: £1,321 → £1,407
Travel Documents:
Certificate of travel (adult): £300 → £320
Certificate of travel (child): £151 → £161
Convention travel document (adult): £94.50 → £102
Convention travel document (child): £61.50 → £66.50
Nationality and Citizenship:
Naturalisation (British citizenship): £1,605 → £1,709
Registration as British citizen (adult): £1,446 → £1,540
Registration as British citizen (child): £1,214 → £1,000 (reduced)
Renunciation of nationality: £482 → £513
Nationality review: £482 → £513
Status letter: £459 → £489
Non-acquisition letter: £459 → £489
The updated fees underscore the rising cost of migration to the UK, sparking concerns among prospective applicants, particularly from high-demand countries like Nigeria.
A 23-year-old Nigerian graduate based in the United States, Oluwalayomi “Layo” Fadero, has been killed after a wrong-way driver fleeing from police crashed into her vehicle in Nashville, Tennessee.
According to WSMV Nashville on Tuesday, the incident occurred last Friday when the suspect, identified as Ray Eugene Padgett, allegedly drove into oncoming traffic while attempting to evade arrest.
Fadero, a recent graduate of Fisk University, was reportedly heading into her neighbourhood along Murfreesboro Pike when the suspect’s vehicle struck her car on the driver’s side, killing her on the spot.
Metro Nashville Police confirmed the crash followed a series of incidents earlier in the day, beginning with the theft of a Ford F-250 truck from a car lot in North Nashville. Investigators said the suspect rammed the vehicle owner’s car while fleeing the scene before later crashing into an unmarked police SUV, triggering a pursuit that lasted about five minutes and reached speeds of approximately 80 miles per hour.
“At about 2:30 p.m., the suspect drove into oncoming traffic and struck the victim’s vehicle,” police authorities were quoted as saying.
The impact reportedly forced Fadero’s car about 100 yards into a ditch, with emergency responders confirming her dead at the scene. Authorities described her as an uninvolved motorist who had no connection to the chase.
Padgett, 52, was later arrested and taken to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries before being taken into custody.
Police said he is facing multiple felony charges, including criminally negligent homicide, vehicular homicide by recklessness, attempted criminal homicide, and reckless endangerment. Authorities also disclosed that the suspect was on parole at the time of the incident and had at least 20 prior convictions across five counties in Tennessee.
Fadero was said to have recently completed her degree and was pursuing an accelerated nursing programme at another institution before her death.
“She was one of the most compassionate and kindest of people that you would’ve ever met,” her former professor, Janet Walsh, said.
Another alumna, Jessica Williams, described her death as “heartbreaking,” noting that she was killed close to her residence.
A makeshift memorial has since been created at the crash site, while counselling support has been made available to students and members of the university community.
Meanwhile, a fundraiser organised by supporters has raised over $13,000 to assist with funeral expenses, as family and friends continue to mourn her sudden death.
Police said investigations into the crash and the events leading up to it are ongoing.
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