Lawyer files suit to stop FG from extraditing Allen Onyema, AirPeace boss

A lawyer has filed a suit at the federal high court in Abuja seeking to stop the extradition of Allen Onyema, chief executive officer of Air Peace, to the US.

Last week, the US authorities had said Onyema moved more than $20 million from Nigeria through US bank accounts in a scheme involving “false documents” based on the purchase of airplanes.

On November 19, a US court was reported to have issued a warrant to arrest Onyema and authorised US marshals service to bring him into custody.

But an Abuja-based lawyer, Johnmary Jideobi asked the court to bar the federal government from harassing, inviting or arresting Onyema.

The lawyer joined Abubakar Malami, attorney-general of the federation (AGF), as a respondent in the suit seeking the enforcement of the fundamental human rights of the airline chief.

In the reliefs brought before the court, the lawyer said the federal government or any of its agencies “is/are without powers to abridge the fundamental right of Onyema to freedom of movement as donated by Section 35 of the amended 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

Onyema has since denied the allegation fraud, saying he is ready to clear his name.