Fact Check: Did US Court Acquit Air Peace’s Allen Onyema As Report Claims?

The attorney’s announcement sparked mixed reactions among Nigerians.

Four days later, The Nation’s report was released, and many responded positively to the news.

Claim

U.S. court acquits Air Peace CEO and imposes a $4,000 fine on Ebony Mayfield, a former employee of Springfield Aviation Company.

However, the report did not specify when the court “acquitted” Onyema or fined Mayfield.

Verification

To verify the claim about Onyema’s acquittal, An investigative organisation, Foundation For Investigative Journalism Nigeria (FIJ) examined the Tuesday report for details on court appearances and arguments, but found none.

FIJ also discovered a report from The Guardian published on October 30, 2022, which contained information similar to the recent article, including a statement from the law firm Augustine Alegeh & Co., representing the airline.

According to that report, the court’s decision was made on Friday, October 28, two days prior to its publication, and this narrative was echoed by several other media outlets.

However, a report from Premium Times on October 31, 2022, clarified that the court convicted Mayfield and sentenced her to three years of probation after she pleaded guilty to assisting in a $20 million bank fraud scheme.

The court did not acquit Onyema, contradicting the claims made in the Friday statement.

Conclusion

Evidence shows that Tuesday’s report was a rehash of a misleading account from the October 28, 2022, court hearing. The report was inaccurate then and remains so now.

Verdict

False

Source: FIJ NG: Foundation For Investigative Journalism Nigeria