WHAT began as a routine flight from Lagos to Port Harcourt has exploded into a national scandal. On July 13, 2025, an Air Peace plane skidded off the runway, but all passengers escaped unharmed.
Weeks later, the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau’s toxicology report accused two crew members of flying under the influence of alcohol and weed (Marijuana), a claim co-pilot David Bernard and cabin crew member Maduneme Victory say is false and defamatory. News Point Nigeria digs into the fallout threatening to shake public confidence in air travel.
Speaking on Arise Television Friday night, co-pilot Bernard fiercely rejected the toxicology results, insisting he neither drinks nor uses drugs.
“I do not drink, and I have never touched drugs,” the visibly agitated co-pilot declared. “It’s 2025, and we have technology that allows for instant and accurate alcohol testing through a breathalyser you blow into it right there, and the system immediately detects any trace of alcohol.
“But instead, the officials at Port Harcourt Airport took our blood and urine samples on July 13, only to present results ten days later, on July 23. How does it take that long to produce a result? It makes no sense in this modern era.
“We invested heavily in our aviation training, sacrificed so much to be where we are, and now someone wants to jeopardise my career and tarnish my name with false accusations? To make matters worse, they sent our samples to a non-aviation-recognised hospital. That is completely unacceptable. I stand by my integrity, I neither drink nor smoke,” he said emphatically.
The co-pilot stressed that the airline conducts strict, random tests on crew members, which makes pilots and cabin crew extremely cautious about anything that could compromise their jobs or passengers’ safety.
“You don’t just consume anything, because you can be randomly tested at any time, even right before duty. Aviation regulations are clear: you must not have more than 0.02 grams of alcohol in your blood, and you are forbidden from taking alcohol at least eight hours before reporting for duty,” he added.
Cabin crew member Maduneme Victory also strongly condemned the report, describing it as a deliberate attempt to smear the airline’s reputation and destroy innocent careers.
She recounted, “On July 13, after landing, we waited patiently for NSIB officials to board and begin their investigation. Hours later, we were ushered into a room where our blood and urine samples were taken. Normally, results for such sensitive tests are released within hours yet we received nothing that day.
“Then, 10 days later, on August 6, I got a shocking call from NCAA asking me to pick up a letter. When I opened it, my heart sank. I was stunned to see allegations claiming I had marijuana in my system. I immediately went to see a doctor, who advised me to respond formally within seven days but I couldn’t even wait that long. I submitted my response the very next day.”
Victory continued, “Later, I was instructed to do a reconfirmatory test, which I agreed to without hesitation. I was referred to Dr. Adetunji of Aero Space Clinic, a licensed aviation medical facility. The doctor explained that marijuana can remain in the system for up to 90 days and even suggested I wait before retesting, but I insisted on doing it immediately.
“The result came back completely negative. Now, my question to NSIB is this: if marijuana was supposedly found in my system, why did they not immediately inform my airline and ground me from flying? That is standard procedure because such a crew member would be considered a potential danger to passengers. Instead, they kept silent for nearly two months, and now they are tarnishing my image and that of my airline.”
She added that if not for the calm and measured approach of the airline’s chairman, she might have been summarily dismissed and blacklisted from the industry.
“Imagine being falsely branded a drug user in aviation, no airline in the world would ever hire you again. This is career assassination and character defamation of the highest order. The world needs to see our clean test results. These accusations are malicious lies, and if NSIB does not withdraw this report, we will have no choice but to seek legal redress,” she warned.
Air Peace, Nigeria’s biggest carrier, backed its crew, noting that the co-pilot had already been cleared by the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) and had since returned to flying duties.
“If there was a confirmed positive drug or alcohol result, the NCAA would never have cleared him to resume duty. We only grounded the captain for procedural errors, not for testing positive,” the airline stated.
NSIB Director-General, Captain Alex Badeh, dismissed allegations of bias, noting that NSIB did not conduct the toxicology tests but relied on Rivers State Hospital Management’s certified results.
“We have published countless preliminary reports before now. This is standard procedure. The report was ready on July 14, the day after the incident but we had to investigate other operational factors before publishing.”
The development has sparked public concern about aviation safety culture in Nigeria.
Frequent flyer, Rasheed Olalekan expressed fear for his life, warning that “everything goes in Nigeria.”
Another passenger, Hannah Chukwuma, said she abandoned her flight plans, opting to travel by road because of fear that pilots might be flying under the influence.
Retired industry expert, Martin Oju, blamed the NCAA for lax regulatory enforcement. “During the Harold Demuren era, safety recommendations were treated urgently. Today, over 150 recommendations are still unaddressed. This is dangerous.”
A Kaduna-based businesswoman Hameeda Bashir expressed deep concern over the development, warning against taking it lightly.
“This is no laughing matter. Yes, it will trend for a few days and dominate the news cycle, but the reality is very serious. We are talking about pilots, people responsible for flying hundreds of lives allegedly testing positive for alcohol and marijuana, and Nigerians don’t seem alarmed? This should worry everyone,” she said.
A former flight attendant, who spoke to News Point Nigeria on condition of anonymity, made a startling revelation, warning that if Nigerians truly knew what some pilots and crew members do before taking charge of an aircraft, they would think twice before boarding certain airlines.
“I used to work as a cabin crew member, and I dated a few pilots, so I know what goes on behind the scenes,” she said, her voice laced with concern. “Some of them actually get high before stepping into the cockpit. My ex-boyfriend, who flies for a very popular airline, was guilty of this habit, he smoked marijuana almost 70% of the time before going on board. It is extremely dangerous and downright reckless.”
A senior source within the investigative bureau confided to News Point Nigeria that the ongoing probe is thorough, impartial, and absolutely transparent, insisting that there is no vendetta against Air Peace.
“These pilots and some members of the cabin crew have a reputation for indulging in hard substances, everyone in the industry knows it. They simply have clever ways of bypassing the routine tests,” the source alleged.
“Frankly, this shouldn’t even be a controversy. The real problem is that this country is not yet prepared to confront this uncomfortable truth head-on.”
Also a senior FAAN official, simply identified as Dele, told News Point Nigeria that the Nigerian aviation sector is deeply entangled in issues of sex, drugs, and scandal.
“The glamorous world of aviation is not as spotless as it appears. Those dashing pilots and stunning flight attendants are treated like celebrities, just like stars in the movie or music industry and the lifestyle often comes with its own dark temptations,” he said.
Dele drew a striking comparison to Denzel Washington’s film Flight, where the lead character, a pilot, battles substance abuse while on duty. “Everything you saw in that movie is a reflection of what happens among pilots globally and Nigeria is no exception. Drugs and pilots are not strangers; it is a reality the industry continues to grapple with,” he added.
A hotel manager in Abuja also confided to News Point Nigeria that the lifestyle of some pilots and flight attendants is wildly reckless and deeply troubling.
“When these pilots and female crew members lodge in our hotel, the rooms often reek of pungent drugs and strong alcohol after they leave. It’s no secret, their after hours behaviour is brazen,” the manager said.
He added, “After witnessing firsthand the hedonistic parties and substance-fueled escapades of these young flight crews, I completely lost faith in air travel. I now travel by road, no matter how far because I can’t entrust my life to someone who might be flying high in more ways than one.”
This heated dispute has dramatically laid bare the disturbing cracks within Nigeria’s aviation architecture, exposing glaring lapses in coordination, poor communication, and alarming transparency deficits between the NSIB, NCAA, and airline operators.
It has also peeled back the veil on the brazen, decadent, and often scandalous lifestyles of some pilots and cabin crew, a side of the industry that has remained shrouded in secrecy for decades.
Whether the Federal Government will muster the political will to hold those responsible accountable and restore sanity to the sector, or whether this will become yet another scandal conveniently swept under the rug, remains to be seen. Nigerians are watching and waiting.