• NSIB: “Air Peace Crew Tested Positive for Drug”
• Air Peace to NSIB: “It’s a lie, Our Crew are Professionals”
By Abiola Olawale
In a stunning development, the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) has released a preliminary report accusing Air Peace pilots of allegedly operating under the influence of alcohol and hard drugs, including cannabis.
This development follows a dramatic runway excursion at Port Harcourt International Airport. The revelation has ignited a public clash between the airline and regulators, as Air Peace rejected the allegations.
The New Diplomat recalls that the incident, which occurred on July 13, 2025, involved Air Peace flight APK7190, a Boeing 737-524 aircraft registered as 5N-BQQ, en route from Lagos’ Murtala Muhammed International Airport to Port Harcourt International Airport.
Carrying 103 passengers and crew, the plane veered off the runway without any damage. However, all on board disembarked safely with no injuries reported.
Investigating the incident, the NSIB, in a report signed by the Director of Public Affairs and Family Assistance, Mrs. Bimbo Olawumi Oladeji, said initial toxicological tests on the flight crew—conducted at the Rivers State University Teaching Hospital—yielded positive results for alcohol consumption and cannabis.
The NSIB said: “Initial toxicological tests conducted on the flight crew revealed positive results for certain substances, including indicators of alcohol consumption. A cabin crew member also tested positive for THC, the psychoactive component in cannabis. These results are being reviewed under the human performance and safety management components of the investigation.
“The NSIB has issued immediate safety recommendations for Air Peace Limited to strengthen crew resource management training, particularly in handling unstabilised approaches and go-around decisions, and to reinforce internal procedures for crew fitness-for-duty monitoring before flight dispatch.”
The statement added: “Toxicological test was conducted on the flight crew at Rivers state hospital management, department of medical laboratory, Port Harcourt, on 13th July 2025, and they tested positive for some substances. Toxicological screening conducted post-incident revealed that Captain and first officer tested positive for Ethyl Glucuronide, indicating recent alcohol consumption.”
However, in a reaction hours after the NSIB report surfaced, the airline vehemently denied the allegations, labeling them as “preliminary and inconclusive.”
The airline’s reaction was contained in a statement signed by its management and shared on its official X account on Friday.
The airline’s statement partly read: “Our attention has been drawn to media stories on a purported preliminary report by the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) currently circulating online and in the media regarding the incident involving one of our aircraft at Port Harcourt on July 13, 2025.
“We are yet to receive any official communications from the NSIB on such findings over a month after the incident and after the testing of the crew for alcohol, which took place in less than an hour of the incident.
“As a responsible airline, we place utmost priority on safety, transparency, and compliance, and it is important to set the record straight.
“Air Peace conducts frequent alcohol and drug tests on our crew. We have a very strict alcohol use policy that is stricter than the 8 hours before the flight as provided in the regulations. Drug use is a NO-NO!
“The captain of the affected flight was grounded and relieved from further flight duty to date for failure to adhere to Crew Resource Management (CRM) principles and for disregarding standard go-around procedures as advised by his co-pilot but not for testing positive to the breathalyser test, as the result was not communicated to us by NSIB to date.”
