Nigeria, Oct. 16 -- The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has debunked the allegations made by the senator representing Abia North and a former airline owner, Orji Uzor Kalu, that some Nigerian pilots smoke Indian hemp before flights.

Mr Kalu, during the Senate plenary on Wednesday, had alleged that some pilots get "high" before flights and blamed drug use and poor regulatory oversight for runway-related incidents and operational lapses.

In a statement issued on Thursday by the director-general of the NCAA, Chris Najomo, the authority described the claim as baseless and misleading, insisting that all the licensed pilots in Nigeria undergo rigorous medical, professional, and safety checks before they are cleared to fly.

The regula...