BREAKING: Paramilitary Recruitment: Applicants Protest ₦7,500 Drug Test Fee Despite FG’s Free Screening Promise

Applicants participating in the ongoing paramilitary recruitment exercise have expressed concern after being asked to pay ₦7,500 for the mandatory drug test, despite an earlier assurance by the federal government that the exercise would be conducted free of charge.

The development appears to contradict an earlier statement by the Secretary of the Civil Defence, Correctional, Fire and Immigration Services Board (CDCFIB), Major General Abdulmalik Jibril (retd.), who assured applicants that the federal government would bear the full cost of the drug screening conducted by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).

Jibril gave the assurance during a briefing last week in Abuja following the board’s meeting, where he announced that candidates who had reached the oral interview stage would undergo mandatory drug screening with the NDLEA before collecting their appointment letters.

The Board secretary was quoted to have announced last week that the drug test would be free, and candidates would not be required to make any payment.

“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,” Jibril had said.

When specifically asked whether the exercise would be free, the board secretary reiterated that the federal government would bear the cost.

“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,” he stated.

However, contrary to that assurance, applicants majorl are now reporting that they have been directed to pay ₦7,500 for the drug test.

The amount is reportedly displayed on the NDLEA’s drug and visa screening portal,”drugandvisa.ndlea.gov.ng,” under the description “Drug Test,” raising questions about the implementation of the exercise and the earlier promise that candidates would not be charged.

One of the applicants, who gave his name only as Abdallah Muhammad from Kano State, expressed disappointment over the development, saying candidates had been led to believe that the federal government would bear the cost of the screening.

“We were told that the bills would be footed by the federal government, but the NDLEA is now demanding ₦7,500 from us. Imagine multiplying that amount by 30,000 candidates. That is a huge sum of money.

“We appeal to the Minister of Interior , Dr. Olubummi Tunji-Ojo, to look into this matter and come to our rescue. We hear that he is a man of integrity, and we believe he will intervene on our behalf to ensure that applicants are not made to pay for a service the government had promised would be free,” Muhammad said.

The development has sparked concerns among applicants, many of whom have waited for months for the conclusion of the recruitment process. They are now seeking clarification on why they are being asked to pay despite the board’s earlier assurance.

The recruitment exercise covers four paramilitary agencies: the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS), Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) and Federal Fire Service (FFS).

The Board had announced that drug screening was a mandatory requirement for successful candidates who had reached the oral interview stage, adding that applicants must obtain NDLEA clearance before collecting their appointment letters.

The first batch of the recruitment exercise is expected to cover 30,000 personnel as part of the federal government’s broader plan to recruit 120,000 personnel into the paramilitary services.

LEADERSHIP reports that at ₦7,500 per applicant, the reported charge could amount to ₦225 million if all 30,000 candidates are required to pay.

As of the time of filing this report, clarification is being sought from the CDCFIB and NDLEA on the reported ₦7,500 charge and whether the payment has been officially approved.

Applicants have appealed to the Minister of Interior to urgently intervene and clarify the situation, particularly in view of the Board secretary’s earlier categorical assurance that no candidate would be charged for the drug test.