NSIB Denies Sabotage Claims Over Air Peace Incident Report

The Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) has strongly rejected allegations that its preliminary report on the Air Peace incident at Port Harcourt International Airport was intended to sabotage the airline.

Captain Alex Badeh, Director-General of NSIB, addressed the claims during an interview with Arise Television on Friday, describing the suggestions as “extremely insulting.”

“We’re in the eye of the storm. Sometimes people react in different ways. We’ve heard claims that this is a smear campaign against the airline, but I must stress this is not our first preliminary report. In the 18 months I have been leading NSIB, we have published numerous reports, including several involving Air Peace,” Badeh said.

He expressed surprise at the sudden accusation of a smear campaign, noting that no such claims arose with previous incidents involving the airline. “Our role is not to litigate; we are here to establish facts,” he added.

Badeh also clarified that the toxicology tests conducted on the crew following the July 13 incident were not performed by NSIB, and the bureau cannot prematurely disclose test results. He emphasized that the findings of the preliminary report do not equate to blame or indictment.