By our reporter 15.10.2025
Former Abia governor and presently Nigerian Senate Chief Whip, Orji Uzor Kalu, said a good number of Nigerian commercial air pilots are users of “Indian hemp” or marijuana.
Senator Uzor Kalu who was speaking during Wednesday’s Senate session lamented that the concerned authorities are not monitoring the activities of these pilots and thus endangering air safety.
“On many occasions I have stopped to fly because of inadequacy of pilots’ preparation, some of the pilots are not prepared. Some of them use Indian hemp.
“Yes, it’s true. Some of them are smoking Indian hemp and some of them are not properly audited by the authorities. I am telling you what I know because the NCAA and other authorities are not looking after this pilot and checking them on drugs, on the spot assessment. They’re not doing it. It is dangerous.
“And you see them walking into the airplane. Nobody checks their blood pressure. Nobody checked anything, nothing. Most of these pilots are so careless. I have witnessed it, and I have seen it. I don’t think it’s normal.
“Those agencies must come back home to look after this pilot and what do you call them?…because some of them take this India hemp like cigarette. If you go close to them, you will smell it. So, NCAA must come back to their duty.”
Senator Orji Uzor Kalu