NEFGAD Demands NSIB DG’s Resignation Over Air Peace Runway Report Controversy

The Network for the Actualisation of Social Growth and Viable Development (NEFGAD) has called for the immediate resignation of the Director-General of the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB), Captain Alex Badeh Jr.

The group also urged President Bola Tinubu to order an independent probe into the Bureau’s operations following the controversy over the Bureau’s handling of the July 2024 Air Peace runway incursion and its preliminary toxicology findings.

THE WHISTLER reports that the dispute began after an Air Peace Boeing 737 veered off the runway at Port Harcourt International Airport on 13 July 2024.

According to reports, the aircraft reportedly touched down beyond the normal runway threshold and came to a stop safely, with all 103 passengers disembarking without injury.

The NSIB later issued a preliminary report, stating that toxicology tests indicated traces of alcohol in the captain and first officer, and tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) in a cabin crew member. The Bureau also said the findings were part of its human-performance and safety-management investigation.

But Air Peace strongly rejected the NSIB’s report, insisting it had not received any official toxicology results and that the captain was grounded for failures in Crew Resource Management (CRM), not substance use. The airline also noted that the first officer was cleared by the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA).

The conflicting statements drew nationwide attention and raised questions about the NSIB’s investigation processes, communication standards and the credibility of its findings.

Addressing journalists in Abuja on Tuesday, NEFGAD’s Acting Head of Office, Barr. Unekwu Ojo emphasized NEFGAD’s role as a critical stakeholder in Nigeria’s aviation sector, committed to transparency, accountability, and public safety, expressing profound disappointment in the way the NSIB handled the highly sensitive investigation.

“NSIB is an aviation watchdog whose investigations require utmost precision, neutrality, and scientific rigour. Any lapse, real or perceived, undermines public trust and jeopardises confidence among both domestic and international partners in Nigeria’s air safety oversight,” Ojo said.

NEFGAD criticised the conflicting narratives and lack of clarity in the NSIB report, which came months after the incident, describing it as troubling and entirely alien to the Nigerian aviation sector, particularly under the leadership of Badeh.

The group said these lapses raise serious doubts about the Bureau’s internal processes, adherence to global best practices, and its ability to professionally discharge its statutory mandate.

“At this critical moment, Nigeria an aspiring nation working to ensure the air safety of its citizens and attract global investment cannot afford an aviation investigative body whose operations inspire controversy rather than confidence,” Ojo added.

In response, NEFGAD demanded the immediate resignation of Badeh to restore public trust and protect the integrity of ongoing and future investigations.

The organisation also urged President Tinubu to sack Badeh with immediate effect and initiate an independent assessment of NSIB’s leadership structure, investigative protocols, and quality-control mechanisms, using the Air Peace runway incident as a test case to ensure the agency is repositioned for credible, world-class performance.

NEFGAD further warned of potential mass mobilisation and legal action should Badeh refuse to step down, insisting that Nigeria’s aviation safety institutions must operate above reproach and that leadership accountability is non-negotiable.