Air Peace co-pilot David Bernard and cabin crew member Maduneme Victory have vehemently rejected a Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) report claiming they tested positive for alcohol and THC, calling the tests procedurally flawed and a smear campaign, while the NSIB director stands by the findings.
Air Peace: I Don’t Drink Nor Do Drugs; Blood Sample Results Were Brought Back After 2 Weeks -Bernard
They could have simply done a breathalyser test on the spot. The tests were done by a non-recognised aviation hospital.
David Bernard, Air Peace pic.twitter.com/yWoe5buUKB— ARISE NEWS (@ARISEtv) September 13, 2025
A co-pilot and a cabin crew member have publicly rejected a preliminary report from the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) that claimed they tested positive for alcohol and a hard drug following a runway incursion in July.
Air Peace: I Was Shocked When I Was Given a Test Result That Said I Had Marijuana in My System -Maduneme
I was told marijuana stays in the system for 90 days, but when they carried out the follow-up test, I tested negative.
Victory Maduneme, Air Peace Cabin Crew pic.twitter.com/BGqxHZMHka— ARISE NEWS (@ARISEtv) September 13, 2025
The NSIB report stated that after an Air Peace aircraft veered off the runway while landing at the Port Harcourt International Airport, toxicological tests on the crew were conducted. It found the captain and first officer tested positive for indicators of recent alcohol consumption, while a cabin crew member tested positive for tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the psychoactive component in cannabis.
However, co-pilot David Bernard and crew member Maduneme Victory have fiercely denied these allegations. In a televised interview, they accused the NSIB of using an unregistered medical center and violating standard testing protocols, arguing the results are part of a smear campaign against the airline.
Bernard insisted, “I don’t drink or smoke… You took the test out to a non-aviation recognised hospital. So, it doesn’t make any sense at all.” He questioned the delay, noting results came days later instead of immediately with a breathalyser.
Victory, who subsequently passed a confirmatory test at an aviation-licensed clinic, called the situation “pure defamation of character” and threatened legal action if the report is not retracted. She questioned, “if marijuana was found in my system, were they not supposed to say this to my airline, and were they not supposed to stop me from flying?”
In response, NSIB Director-General Captain Alex Badeh dismissed the allegations, stating such reactions were expected and affirming the tests were conducted officially by the Rivers State Hospital Management. Meanwhile, Air Peace noted the co-pilot had been cleared by the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) and returned to duty, stating it had not received any official communication from the NSIB on the findings over a month after the incident. The controversy has raised significant concerns among passengers and aviation experts about safety protocols and inter-agency synergy within Nigeria’s aviation sector.
The Report on the Air Peace Crew is Not the First NSIB Has Conducted; The Captain and First Officer Tested Positive for Ethyl -Badeh
Nobody said the crew caused the crash; the report said the captain and first officer tested positive for ethyl, which is a byproduct of alcohol,… pic.twitter.com/UqILpkwMQr
— ARISE NEWS (@ARISEtv) September 13, 2025