Nigeria’s flag carrier, Air Peace, has successfully repatriated 78 Nigerian women from Félix Houphouët-Boigny International Airport in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, at no cost.
The rescue flight, operated with a Boeing 737 aircraft bearing registration 5N-BQV, departed Lagos’ Murtala Muhammed International Airport at 14:14 hrs and arrived back in Lagos at 22:46 hrs.
The aircraft, which seats 130 passengers, brought home the women—victims of human trafficking many of whom shared harrowing accounts of their ordeal.
This humanitarian mission was made possible through a joint effort between Air Peace, the Office of the Chargée d’Affaires at the Nigerian Embassy in Abidjan, and the Nigerian Community in Côte d’Ivoire.
These partners worked together to ensure all 78 women were properly documented and cleared for travel.
The operation was led by Air Peace Chairman and CEO, Allen Onyema, who had pledged in April to bring the trafficked women back to Nigeria free of charge.
Onyema, who spoke while the women were disembarking the aircraft, said: “Human trafficking is a blight on our shared humanity. These women were lured with promises and ended up in misery. As an airline of the people, we cannot stand by while Nigerians suffer abroad. We will always rise to the occasion, because love for country and for humanity must compel action. We will continue to stand in the gap when Nigerians are in distress, whether in Africa or beyond. We’re not just about flying aircraft; we’re about lifting lives. Our aircraft will always be available for noble causes. The suffering of our people anywhere in the world should concern us all.”
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The president of the Nigerian Community in Côte d’Ivoire, Chief Michael Emeka Onwuchelu, however, said: “What Onyema has done is beyond corporate social responsibility, CSR; it is godly. For these women, this flight was a miracle. At a time when many looked away, Air Peace chose to act. The Nigerian community here is eternally grateful.”
Speaking on behalf of the Nigerian Embassy in Abidjan, Mr. Paul Obi, a senior officer in the Office of the Chargée d’Affaires, praised the airline for its responsiveness.
He said, “It was a race against time. Many of these ladies were undocumented, exposed to abuse, and in dire conditions. This act by Air Peace and its Chairman has restored dignity and hope. We encountered many diplomatic and logistical hurdles, but the airline’s support made this rescue achievable.”
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