Air Peace and the Umueri community clash over claims of N100m payment for airport land, with both sides insisting on different versions of the transaction

Air Peace land dispute has escalated as Nigeria’s largest airline and the Umueri community in Anambra East Local Government Area engage in a public disagreement over the ownership and payment for land meant for a Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) facility at the Chinua Achebe International Cargo Airport.

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The controversy stems from social media claims suggesting that Air Peace Chairman, Allen Onyema, paid the Umueri community ₦100 million for the airport land an allegation the community has firmly denied.

While the airline maintains that its chairman indeed made the payment, it clarified that the money was paid to the Anambra State Government, not the Umueri community.

The issue resurfaced after reports claimed Onyema relocated the planned ₦32 billion MRO project to Lagos due to the community’s alleged refusal to allocate land.

In a statement titled “Umueri Community Sets the Record Straight,” the traditional ruler, Igwe Bennett Emeka, dismissed the circulating reports as “false and misleading.”

“The Umueri community categorically states that these claims are untrue. We never allocated land to Chief Onyema, nor did we receive any payment from him,” the monarch stated.

He explained that the land was allocated by the then governor, Chief Willie Obiano, as part of a government-led project, and the community had no direct dealings with Air Peace.

Igwe Emeka added that the community has documentary evidence to prove its position and is prepared to present it to the relevant authorities.

However, Air Peace, in a swift response, described the Umueri community’s statement as “baseless and misplaced.”

In a release signed by the airline’s spokesperson, Osifo-Whiskey Efe, titled “Anambra Airport Allen Onyema Did Not Lie About Paying ₦100m for Aircraft Maintenance Facility Land,” the airline reaffirmed that its transaction was entirely with the Anambra State Government.

“To begin with, the Umueri community was never accused of any wrongdoing by Dr Onyema or Air Peace. At no point did he claim that the community refused land allocation or received money,” the statement clarified.

The airline shared a copy of the official payment receipt, confirming the ₦100 million was paid to the state government on August 26, 2021, with a Certificate of Occupancy issued on September 14, 2021.

“It must be clearly stated that Dr Onyema does not lie about anything.

His integrity and commitment to Nigeria’s development remain unquestionable,” Air Peace stated, describing the online claims as “false, malicious, and defamatory.”

The airline reiterated that the MRO project remains on course and is designed to create jobs, strengthen Nigeria’s aviation sector, and position the country as a regional hub for aircraft maintenance.

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The Air Peace land dispute underscores the tension that can arise between corporate and community interests in major infrastructure projects, especially where state allocations and traditional claims intersect.