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Air Peace, Nigeria’s largest airline, successfully evacuated 78 trafficked Nigerian women from Félix Houphouët-Boigny International Airport in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, on May 10, 2025, fulfilling a pledge to bring them home at no cost. The women, many undocumented and exploited after being lured abroad with false promises, were repatriated to Lagos in a humanitarian mission sparked by social media influencer Verydarkman’s advocacy months earlier.
Operating a Boeing 737 (registration 5N-BQV), Air Peace’s flight departed Murtala Muhammed International Airport at 2:14 PM, landed in Abidjan, and returned to Lagos by 10:46 PM. The operation was coordinated with the Nigerian Embassy in Abidjan and the Nigerian Community in Côte d’Ivoire. Chief Michael Emeka Onwuchelu, President of the Nigerian Community, called the evacuation “a miracle,” while embassy official Paul Obi praised Air Peace for restoring the women’s dignity.
In addition to free transportation, Air Peace provided medical and psychosocial support to the returnees. This mission marks another chapter in the airline’s humanitarian efforts, following evacuations from South Africa (2019), COVID-19 flights (2020), Ukraine (2022), and Sudan (2023).
The successful repatriation highlights the impact of collective action in addressing human trafficking and supporting vulnerable Nigerians abroad.
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