Air Peace’s co-pilot and a cabin crew member have strongly rejected claims by the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) that they tested positive for alcohol and marijuana following a runway incident in Port Harcourt. The two airline staff, co-pilot David Bernard and cabin crew member Maduneme Victory, argue that the tests were flawed and conducted under dubious circumstances.
The incident occurred on Sunday, July 13, 2025, when an Air Peace aircraft veered off the runway at Port Harcourt International Airport. While no passengers were harmed, the NSIB’s subsequent investigation raised concerns, citing that the aircraft landed 2,264 meters from the runway threshold, well beyond the recommended touchdown zone. The plane eventually stopped 209 meters into the clearway.
The NSIB’s preliminary report, signed by Mrs. Bimbo Oladeji, Director of Public Affairs and Family Assistance at NSIB, stated that toxicological tests on the crew had shown the presence of alcohol and tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the psychoactive compound in marijuana. These results were supposedly confirmed by a local hospital in Port Harcourt.
However, both Bernard and Victory have rejected the findings, claiming that the tests were conducted at an unregistered and non-aviation-recognized facility. In an interview on Arise Television, Bernard insisted that he neither drinks alcohol nor uses drugs. “We are in 2025, and if you’re trying to do an alcohol test, there’s something called a breathalyzer. Why would they take our blood and urine to an unregistered hospital and then come back with results ten days later?” Bernard stated.
Victory shared similar concerns, emphasizing the delay in receiving the test results. “Normally, after a drug or alcohol test, results should be immediate or within a few hours,” she said. “But ten days later, I was shocked to see the test results and immediately sought a second opinion from a licensed clinic, where I tested negative for marijuana.”
Victory further argued that if the tests had indeed shown the presence of drugs or alcohol, the airline should have been informed immediately, as this would have prohibited her from flying. “If marijuana was truly found in my system, why wasn’t I grounded? Why was my license not revoked?” she questioned.
Despite the accusations, the NSIB’s Director-General, Captain Alex Badeh, dismissed the allegations. In a statement, Badeh clarified that the NSIB did not conduct the tests themselves but relied on the River State Hospital Management, which is an accredited institution for such screenings. Badeh also emphasized that the preliminary report was in line with standard investigative protocols.
In response, Air Peace has reiterated that the crew member in question, the co-pilot Bernard, had been cleared by the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) and returned to active duty. The airline also noted that if the tests had revealed positive results for alcohol, they would have acted swiftly to enforce stricter crew testing procedures.
“We have not received any official communication from the NSIB regarding the toxicology results, and therefore, we cannot act on an unofficial report,” Air Peace stated. The airline also highlighted its strict internal alcohol and drug testing policies, emphasizing that all crew members are subject to random testing.
Passengers and aviation experts have voiced concerns over the potential implications of the incident. Frequent flyer Aderoju Aina expressed fears about the safety of flying in Nigeria, citing a lack of rigorous checks and accountability in the aviation industry. “I am worried about my safety. If a pilot is found drunk or using drugs, why isn’t it detected before they take to the skies?” he asked.
Industry experts have also raised alarms about the failure of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) to enforce consistent safety regulations. Retired Group Captain John Ojikutu criticized the lack of accountability in the industry, referencing past incidents that had been ignored by the authorities. “There are unaddressed safety recommendations that have been lying dormant for years. The NCAA must take action to prevent such incidents from recurring,” he said.
