- The Nigeria Customs Service has broken its silence over the controversy surrounding its 2024/2025 recruitment exercise
- 397 applicants were disqualified during physical screening over issues including substance abuse, fake credentials and age violations
- The Federal Character Commission has called for the suspension of the exercise over alleged monitoring failures
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has alleged that some applicants protesting their removal from the 2024/2025 recruitment exercise had attempted to gain employment through unofficial means, even as it pledged to reverse any exclusions found to be erroneous.
NCS spokesperson Abdullahi Maiwada made the allegation in an interview with BBC Hausa as translated by Daily Trust, saying that appearing on the successful candidates' list did not guarantee a job offer. According to him, all shortlisted candidates were required to pass additional screening checks before advancing to training.
"Among those who are currently complaining, some attempted to use backdoor channels to gain entry, which is why they were removed," Maiwada said.
Source: Facebook
Nigeria Customs recruitment: Why some candidates were dropped
He added that candidates were dropped following failures in areas including drug tests, age verification and medical assessments. The service confirmed that 397 applicants were disqualified during physical screening, with reasons ranging from substance abuse and physical fitness failures to documentation irregularities. Maiwada noted that some candidates tested positive for medical conditions such as Hepatitis B and high blood pressure, while others submitted forged credentials or were found to have exceeded the permitted age limit.
The controversy centres on reports that candidates whose names appeared on the published list were subsequently replaced by individuals who had not taken part in the exercise at all. The NCS said it had received formal complaints from affected applicants and committed to investigating each case.
"If we find that any candidate was removed erroneously, we will promptly reinstate them," Maiwada said.
The spokesperson also responded to concerns raised by applicants who resigned from existing jobs after seeing their names on the list, only to be dropped at the screening stage. Maiwada said the service had cautioned applicants against leaving their current employment before the process was concluded.
"We warned them not to terminate their current employment because being invited to this stage does not guarantee a job," he said.
Steps for candidates who passed screening stage
He clarified that even candidates who cleared the screening stage would need to complete a full training programme, including examinations, parade drills, firearms training and customs operations courses, before they could be commissioned as officers.
Maiwada did not address a widely circulated but unverified list which suggested the recruitment was skewed in favour of candidates from a particular region.
FCC calls for suspension of NCS recruitment exercise
The Federal Character Commission (FCC) has separately called for the exercise to be suspended, with Abdulwasiu Bawa-Allah, chairman of the FCC Financial Services Committee, stating that the commission was not invited to monitor the process.
Comptroller-General of Customs Adewale Adeniyi had, in August, defended the exercise, stating that successful candidates were distributed equally across all 36 states. In July, the NCS announced 3,852 successful applicants drawn from a pool of 573,680, spread across three entry cadres: superintendent, inspectorate and customs assistant. Physical screening was held in September at the Nigeria Customs Command and Staff College in Gwagwalada, Abuja.
Customs Reveals Major Data on Final 2024/2025 Recruitment List
Earlier, Legit.ng reported that the Nigerian Customs Service published the final list of successful candidates from its 2024/2025 recruitment exercise, confirming that just 3,852 applicants secured places out of 573,680 who applied, a success rate of roughly 0.67 per cent, or one slot for every 148 applicants.
Comptroller General Adewale Adeniyi made the announcement at a press briefing, breaking down the selections across three cadres: 1,275 in the Superintendent Cadre, 367 in the Inspectorate Cadre, and 2,210 in the Customs Assistant Cadre.
Source: Legit.ng