‘I’m not aware’ — Allen Onyema dissociates self from suit filed in Abuja court

Allen Onyema, chief executive officer of Air Peace, says he did not instruct Johnmary Jideobi, a lawyer, to file a human rights suit on his behalf.

The US indicted Onyema of bank fraud and money laundering. He was charged alongside Ejiroghene Eghagha, the airline’s chief of administration and finance, who is said to have committed aggravated identity theft in connection with the scheme.

He denied the allegations, saying the claims are unfounded and strange.

In a statement on Wednesday, A.O Alegeh & Co, Onyema’s lawyers, said suit no. FHC/ABJ/CS/1446/2019 filed before a federal high court in Abuja by Jideobi was instituted without the consent of the Air Peace CEO.

“The attention of our client, Allen Onyema has been drawn to news reports now trending in the social media suggesting that an Abuja based Legal Practitioner, Mr. Johnmary C. Jideobi, has instituted an action in Suit No. FHC/ABJ/CS/1446/2019 – Johnmary C. Jideobi v. Federal Government of Nigeria & Ors at the Federal High Court, Abuja Division, purportedly seeking the enforcement of our client’s fundamental human rights,” it read.

“We hereby state on behalf of our client, that at no time did he instruct the said Mr. Johnmary C. Jideobi to institute any action on his behalf in respect of the subject matter of the Indictment now pending against him in the United States of America. Our Client has no knowledge of the said action and did not consent to the filing of same. As a matter of fact, Our Client does not know the said Mr. Johnmary C. Jideobi.”