Drug, alcohol test results spark row between Air Peace crew, NSIB

By Dickson Omobola

Cabin unit of Nigeria’s airline, Air Peace, Victory Maduneme, has refuted claims by the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau, NSIB, that she tested affirmative for intoxicant and cannabis, saying it is simply a smear run against the airline.

NSIB, however, maintained that releasing preliminary probe reports was modular procedure, saying the lawsuit involving Air Peace was nary different.

Both the hose unit and the Director General of the NSIB, Cap Alex Badeh Jr, spoke connected Arise TV.

Speaking connected the show, Maduneme said, “In aviation, a compartment unit is not expected to instrumentality intoxicant oregon immoderate cause astatine each earlier coming for a flight. On July 13, which was the time of the incident, aft we had landed, we had to hold for NSIB to travel connected board. Then they came for the investigation, and 5 hours later, they asked america to travel into a country for them to bash a test. We each went into the room, and our humor samples were taken, and our urine was besides taken.

“Normally, erstwhile those kinds of (drug and alcohol) tests are done, you are expected to get your effect wrong a fewer hours oregon minutes, but this was not the case. 10 days later, I was called by the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, NCAA, to travel and prime up a letter.

“I went to NCAA successful Lagos, and I opened the letter. I was successful utter daze to spot my effect actually. I went to spot the doctor, saying I was precise shocked to spot this successful my result, and it was not imaginable for maine to person this successful my system.

“He asked maine to spell backmost and travel backmost successful 7 days to reply to their letter. Well, I didn’t hold for the 7 days. I had to respond, which was connected the seventh. A fewer days later, I went to the office, and I was handed a missive which said I should bash a reconfirmatory test.

“I accepted to bash the test, and they sent maine to conscionable a doctor, Adetunji, of Kupa Aerospace Clinic, which is the licensed session for this benignant of test. I did the test, and it came retired negative. There’s a question I request to inquire NSIB: if marijuana was recovered successful my system, were they not expected to archer my airline?

“They are besides expected to halt maine from flying due to the fact that I americium a hazard to the passengers connected board, and my licence would person been taken distant from me, but no, they did not pass them (Air Peace). After 2 months, it is conscionable coming out; they are spoiling the representation of the airline.

“I did my trial wrong a month, and thing was recovered successful my system. If NSIB had a smear run against the airline, they should support the guiltless radical distant from this. In the adjacent 72 hours, if NSIB does not travel and reiterate immoderate they person said against me, past I deliberation we should sue.

This is truly precise bad. This is axenic defamation of character.”

Also speaking, co-pilot David Bernard said, “I don’t instrumentality intoxicant oregon immoderate drugs. I bash not drink, and 2nd of all, we are successful 2025. If you are trying to bash an intoxicant and humor test, we person thing called a breathalyser wherever you person to bash your trial close there. You stroke your enactment into the breathalyser; it checks the magnitude of intoxicant successful your system, but those guys astatine the Port Harcourt Airport, they took our humor illustration and our urine connected the 13th, and past they are coming backmost connected the 23rd of July to springiness the results.

“How agelong does it instrumentality for a effect to beryllium out? A humor trial doesn’t adjacent marque immoderate sense. We are successful 2025, and we paid a batch of wealth for this flying schoolhouse benignant rating. You can’t conscionable jeopardise somebody’s representation and past archer maine I instrumentality alcohol.”

Countering their arguments, Badeh said, “I sympathise with them. This is not the archetypal preliminary study we person published. It is simply a small astonishing that they are saying determination is simply a smear run by NSIB.NSIB does not behaviour tests. This was done by the Rivers State Hospital Management Board, and it is an authoritative test. The trial was carried retired connected the 13th, and the effect came retired connected the 14th. It was with us, but we had to analyse everything. We were not going to knee-jerk. This is not the archetypal preliminary study we person released.

“NSIB, formerly Accident Investigations Bureau, AIB, has been successful beingness since 2006, investigating countless accidents and releasing countless reports, and past 1 time, this comes retired that NSIB is trying to sabotage somebody. I deliberation we ...