Paramilitary Recruitment: Desperate Applicants Ignore CDCFIB Warning, Pay N7,500 For NDLEA Drug Test

Despite categorical assurances by the Civil Defence, Correctional, Fire and Immigration Services Board (CDCFIB) that the drug test is free, some desperate applicants have ignored the directive and paid N7,500 through the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) portal.

However, other shortlisted candidates who followed the stipulated procedure on the NDLEA portal said they completed their registration without making any payment.

Findings on the agency’s drug testing portal, drugandvisa.ndlea.gov.ng, on Wednesday morning showed that applicants who select the “Apply for Drug Test” option are directed to a payment page requiring them to pay N7,500 under a section titled “Complete Drug Test Application.”

The payment requirement has raised concerns, particularly as the CDCFIB had earlier made it clear that candidates were not expected to pay for the screening exercise.

While several applicants who adhered to the instructions provided on the NDLEA portal confirmed to our Correspondent that they completed the registration process without paying any fee.

Meanwhile, our correspondent further gathered that some applicants, apparently unaware of the distinction between the available options on the portal, had mistakenly selected the “Apply for Drug Test” option, which subsequently directed them to a payment section requiring N7,500 to complete an application under the heading “Complete Drug Test Application.”

The Secretary of the CDCFIB, Major General Abdulmalik Jibril (retd.), had last week assured applicants that the Federal Government would bear the cost of the drug test.

Jibril, who spoke with journalists in Abuja after the board’s meeting, explained that candidates were only required to visit NDLEA offices in their respective states to submit their samples, after which their results would be made available immediately.

“Candidates are not to pay anything. They are only to report to NDLEA where they will submit their sample and the result will be given to them instantly,” he said.

He further explained that candidates who successfully progress to the oral interview stage would be required to check their recruitment status on the CDCFIB portal, obtain a code and proceed to the NDLEA office in their respective states for the drug screening.

According to him, successful candidates would subsequently converge on Abuja to collect their appointment letters, but must present their drug-free certificates before they can receive the letters.

Reiterating that the exercise would not attract any charges, the CDCFIB secretary urged applicants to report any demand for payment by officials to the nearest security agency’s office.

“That means it is free. So no candidate will be charged. If any candidate reports and is asked to give money, let him report to the nearest security agency’s office,” Jibril had declared.