Customs Recruitment: FCC Demands Suspension As NCS Vows To Reinstate Wrongly Excluded Candidates

The Federal Character Commission (FCC) has called on the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) to suspend its ongoing recruitment training over allegations that more than 500 candidates whose names appeared on the published final list were excluded from the exercise.

The commission also demanded complete recruitment records from the NCS to determine whether the exercise complied with constitutional provisions on federal character, equitable representation and transparency.

The development comes amid growing controversy over the exclusion of applicants who reportedly passed the required examinations and completed screening and documentation, yet were not invited to training, which commenced on October 9, 2026.

However, the Customs Service has promised to reinstate applicants found to have been wrongly disqualified, while accusing some aggrieved candidates of attempting to secure employment through unofficial channels.

The Chairman of the FCC Financial Services Committee, Abdulwasiu Bawa-Allah, disclosed the commission’s position during a press conference in Abuja.

He expressed concern over reports that some candidates whose names appeared on the published final recruitment list were subsequently excluded, while individuals allegedly absent from the list received invitations for training.

According to him, some of the affected applicants had reportedly resigned from their jobs, trained replacements and incurred substantial expenses in anticipation of their employment by the service.

Bawa-Allah said the situation had generated anxiety among applicants and raised concerns about possible manipulation of the recruitment process.

He also faulted the NCS for allegedly conducting the exercise without inviting the commission to monitor it, despite its constitutional responsibility to promote and enforce compliance with the Federal Character Principle in federal appointments.

The FCC demanded the examination results, screening documents, final selection lists, training invitations and other relevant records, including state-of-origin and local government details, to establish whether the recruitment complied with the prescribed guidelines.

It also asked the Customs Service to explain the criteria used to move candidates from the published final list to the training list and whether a valid Certificate of Compliance was obtained before training invitations were issued.

Bawa-Allah maintained that the commission was not demanding the employment of unqualified candidates but insisting that qualified Nigerians from all parts of the country should receive equitable consideration.

He said, “These questions concern constitutional compliance, administrative justice, institutional accountability and protection against arbitrary acts. The Nigeria Customs Service published final recruitment lists for the Superintendent, Inspectorate and Customs Assistant cadres between 28 and 30 July 2026.

“That publication created a legitimate expectation that candidates who met the final disclosed conditions would be treated transparently and notified, with reasons, of any subsequent disqualification.

“Reports that more than 500 candidates may have been excluded while allegedly unlisted persons received training invitations raise serious questions. Some media have reported that the affected candidates formed a group of approximately 500 people who had successfully completed the required stages without receiving invitations for training which begun on 9 October 2026.

“The publication also stated that its attempts to obtain a response from the Nigeria Customs Service were unsuccessful. For clarity, the Commission is not asking that unqualified candidates be recruited. Federal Character does not replace merit.

“It requires suitably qualified candidates from all parts of Nigeria to receive equitable opportunities through transparent, verifiable and nationally inclusive procedures.”

The commission subsequently demanded that the NCS immediately suspend the ongoing training, reconcile the published final recruitment list with the list of candidates invited for training and provide written explanations to applicants whose names were omitted.

It also asked the service to produce evidence of any Certificate of Compliance obtained before issuing training invitations and explain why the recruitment exercise proceeded without the commission’s monitoring and oversight.

The FCC warned that it would invoke its investigative, compliance and enforcement mechanisms to address any established violations.

It urged affected candidates to remain peaceful and submit their appointment records, published recruitment lists, correspondence, screening documents and other relevant evidence for investigation.

The commission further warned against attempts to intimidate or victimise applicants seeking administrative justice.

Bawa-Allah said, “No public institution is above the Constitution. No Chief Executive may exclude lawful oversight. No qualified Nigerian should lose a legitimate opportunity for lack of political influence or powerful connections.”

Responding to the controversy, the NCS said some applicants protesting their exclusion had attempted to gain employment through unofficial channels.

The service’s spokesperson, Abdullahi Maiwada, disclosed this in an interview with BBC Hausa, explaining that appearing on a published list did not automatically guarantee employment.

According to him, candidates were required to pass additional screening checks before they could proceed to training.

He said some applicants were disqualified for failing to meet prescribed requirements, including age limits, physical fitness, medical assessments and documentation standards.

“Among those who are currently complaining, some attempted to use backdoor channels to gain entry, which is why they were removed,” the spokesman said.

Maiwada, however, assured applicants who believed they had been unjustly excluded that their complaints would be investigated.

“If we find that any candidate was removed erroneously, we will promptly reinstate them,” he said.

The spokesperson explained that the recruitment process included drug tests, age verification, medical assessments and other checks to determine candidates’ eligibility.

He added that some applicants were reportedly found to have medical conditions, including Hepatitis B and high blood pressure, while others allegedly submitted fake credentials or exceeded the stipulated age limit.

“It is important to understand that being invited for screening does not mean you have automatically secured the job,” he said.

Maiwada also addressed reports that some applicants had resigned from their previous jobs after seeing their names on the successful candidates’ list, only to be excluded during subsequent screening.

He said the service had warned applicants against leaving their existing employment before completing the recruitment process.

“We warned them not to terminate their current employment because being invited to this stage does not guarantee a job,” he said.

He added that applicants intending to leave their jobs were advised to liaise with their employers and comply with the required notice arrangements.

According to him, candidates who pass the screening exercise must still meet the requirements of the training programme before being commissioned as customs officers.

He listed examinations, parade drills, firearms training and customs operational courses among the requirements recruits must successfully complete.

The controversy has renewed questions about transparency and compliance with federal character requirements in the recruitment of personnel into federal agencies.

In a statement dated October 19, 2026, titled “Nigeria Customs Reviews Recruitment Complaints, Opens Door for Engagement with Aggrieved Applicants,” the NCS acknowledged receiving complaints from applicants who participated in the recruitment exercise but were subsequently excluded.

The service announced plans to engage affected applicants, although the FCC described its explanation as unsatisfactory.

The commission alleged that its attempts to engage the Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, and obtain relevant recruitment records had been ignored or rebuffed.

It maintained that federal institutions were required to invite the commission to monitor recruitment exercises and reconcile successful candidates with the approved distribution formula across the states and the Federal Capital Territory before a Certificate of Compliance could be issued.

The FCC said its mandate was derived from the 1999 Constitution, as amended, and the Federal Character Commission Establishment Act.

According to Bawa-Allah, Paragraph 8 of Part I of the Third Schedule to the Constitution empowers the commission to formulate equitable formulas for distributing public service positions and to promote, monitor and enforce proportional representation.

He added that the commission’s enabling law empowered it to demand employment returns, investigate recruitment exercises and enforce compliance with its guidelines.

The Federal Character Principle is intended to promote fairness and national unity by ensuring that employment opportunities in federal institutions are distributed equitably among Nigerians.

The Customs recruitment exercise attracted 573,680 applications, from which the service announced 3,852 successful candidates in July 2026.

The recruitment covered three entry cadres: Superintendent, Inspectorate and Customs Assistant.

The NCS subsequently invited successful candidates for physical screening and documentation at the Nigeria Customs Command and Staff College in Gwagwalada, Abuja, in September, after which some applicants received invitations for training.

In August, Adeniyi defended the recruitment process, saying the allocation of successful candidates was equal across the 36 states of the federation.

However, allegations that candidates whose names appeared on the published final list were excluded from training have placed the exercise under renewed scrutiny.

The FCC has called for the reconciliation of the published recruitment list with the training list, while the Customs Service has maintained that all candidates must satisfy the stipulated requirements before employment.

The outcome of the commission’s demands and the NCS investigation will determine whether any applicants were wrongly excluded and whether corrective action is necessary.