Lagos, Nigeria – In the aftermath of a thorough exposé by Ejes Gist News, Business Day Nigeria has retracted and deleted its recent publication falsely claiming that Allen Onyema, the Chief Executive of Air Peace, had been acquitted in a new fraud case.
The fake report had misleadingly suggested that a US court had exonerated Onyema and fined a former employee, Ebony Mayfield, $4,000 in October 2024. However, investigations by Ejes Gist News revealed that the event in question actually occurred in October 2022.
Business Day Nigeria, known for its practice of republishing old news as fresh stories, had inaccurately presented a two-year-old ruling as new, causing confusion in the public space.
Following the Ejes Gist News fact-check and exposure, Business Day swiftly took down the article from its platform, acknowledging the mistake.
The Original 2022 Court Ruling
In October 2022, a US District Court in Atlanta cleared Allen Onyema of business fraud after an extensive investigation. The court did impose a $4,000 fine and probation on Ebony Mayfield, a former administrative staff of Springfield Aviation Company Inc., who had limited involvement in the financial transactions surrounding the case. The court found no evidence of wrongdoing or financial loss to any American bank by Onyema or Air Peace, contrary to widespread speculation at the time.
The 2022 ruling had been widely covered by reputable outlets, including The Guardian and Africa Daily News, and it was confirmed that no loans or fraudulent actions involving American banks had occurred.
The False 2024 Report
Business Day Nigeria erroneously recycled this 2022 court ruling, claiming it as a fresh October 2024 judgement, despite no new developments in the case. The report, which suggested that Onyema had once again been acquitted, was discovered to be baseless when Ejes Gist News cross-checked the facts. This prompted Business Day to delete the article after being called out for misreporting.
US Court Acquits Air Peace Boss, Fines Mayfield $4,000 Is Disinformation
Ejes Gist News’ Fact-Check
Through diligent investigative work, Ejes Gist News confirmed that Business Day had copied and pasted the old story without verifying the facts, leading to the misleading claim that Onyema had secured a new legal victory. The recent legal challenges facing the Air Peace CEO are unrelated to the 2022 case, making the Business Day publication not only inaccurate but also damaging.
U.S. Govt Seeks Forfeiture of $14 Million Assets Linked to Air Peace CEO Allen Onyema in Fraud Case
Following Ejes Gist News’ timely exposure, the erroneous report was removed, marking a significant win for responsible journalism and the fight against misinformation.
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