By Dickson Omobola

Nigeria’s flag carrier, Air Peace, has evacuated 78 Nigerian women free of charge from the Félix Houphouët-Boigny International Airport, Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire.

The flight, operated on the airline’s wide-body Boeing 737 aircraft with registration 5N-BQV, departed the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, yesterday, at 14:14 hrs to bring back the women who had fallen victim to human trafficking in the Francophone West African nation.
The aircraft, with a seating capacity of 130, touched down in Lagos at 22:46 hrs, ferrying home the relieved women with harrowing stories.
The repatriation effort was the fruit of collaboration between Air Peace, the Office of the Chargée d’Affaires of the Nigerian Embassy in Abidjan, and the Nigerian Community in Côte d’Ivoire, whose coordinated efforts ensured the women were documented and cleared for travel.
The rescue operation was spearheaded by the Chief Executive Officer of Air Peace, Allen Onyema, who, in April, vowed to repatriate the trafficked women at no cost.
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.”
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.”
Also speaking on behalf of the Nigerian Embassy in Abidjan, a senior officer in the Office of the Chargée d’Affaires, Mr Paul Obi, commended the airline’s 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.”