Allen Onyema, chairman of Air Peace, said he wept when Nigerians who were returning from South Africa mobbed him and sang the country’s anthem. Onyema
Allen Onyema, chairman of Air Peace, said he wept when Nigerians who were returning from South Africa mobbed him and sang the country’s anthem. Onyema disclosed this while addressing the media shortly after 187 Nigerians touched down at Lagos after being evacuated from South Africa over xenophobic attacks.
In the wake of persistent attacks on Nigerians and other foreigners, the airline had offered free flights to those who sought to return.
“I put together over N280 million in other to bring these people back, Air Peace decided to bring them free of charge, nobody paid us a dime, we decided to do it free of charge for our country and for our people,” he said.
“When I stepped inside the aircraft to welcome them, they mobbed me and started singing the Nigerian national anthem, there was nobody there singing about separation, they felt proud to be Nigerian, they rose in unison, that drew tears from me.”
