The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority has suspended the licences of five cabin crew members for drug-related offences.
The NCAA said the cabin crew members tested positive to marijuana during a multi-drug screening conducted on participants in the Cabin Crew Training Basic Course – 30 at the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology, Zaria, Kaduna State on June 2, 2016.
The agency stated in a statement on Sunday that upon receipt of the test result from the NCAT, it issued a letter of investigation to the involved crew members and they responded.
The NCAA said it accordingly considered their responses, which were in writing, after it had been duly established that they all tested positive to Tetra Hydro Cannabinol or marijuana.
It said in the statement, “This is a substance deemed under Part 1.2.1.8 of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Regulations, 2015 to be a psychoactive substance, which made the defaulters disoriented and thereby violated Part 2.11.2.7 (b) (2) (a) (ii) of the Nig. NCARs, 2015.
“Consequent upon the findings, the defaulted crew members no longer meet the requirements for the issuance of cabin crew licences. In the light of the above and in accordance with the provision of Part 2.11.1.8 (f) (i) of the Nig. NCARs 2015, the authority suspended their medical certificates for a period of 180 days from the date of receipt of the NCAA letter to them.
“The NCAA also put on hold the processing of their initial cabin crew licences and request to repeat the examination, but will not be issued the cabin crew licences even if they pass the examination until they are successfully rehabilitated and re-issued the medical certificates.”
The regulator also mandated the suspended cabin crew members to undergo rehabilitation for psychoactive substance abuse under the strict supervision of a consultant psychiatrist at designated medical centres.
“At the end of the rehabilitation, a report is expected to be forwarded in strict confidence by the medical centre to the authority for consideration of re-issuance of their medical certificates in accordance with the provisions of Part 2.2.9.2 (a) of the Nig. NCARs 2015,” it added.