Nigeria Customs Admits Names Were Smuggled Into Recruitment List, Vows To Remove Unqualified Candidates

Nigeria Customs Admits Names Were Smuggled Into Recruitment List, Vows To Remove Unqualified Candidates

The admission comes after SaharaReporters reported that more than 500 candidates whose names appeared on the Customs’ published list allegedly failed to receive invitations for training scheduled to commence on October 9, 2026, at the Customs Training College.

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has admitted that some names were smuggled into its ongoing recruitment list, with the agency vowing to remove unqualified candidates and take legal action against individuals found to have submitted forged documents.

The Service’s spokesperson, Abdullahi Maiwada, disclosed this in an interview with BBC Hausa, amid growing controversy over the exclusion of hundreds of candidates whose names appeared on the published list of successful applicants for the 2024/2025 recruitment exercise.

“Some names were smuggled into the list. We won’t train them,” Maiwada said.

He maintained that the publication of candidates’ names did not constitute a final appointment, explaining that the recruitment process was still ongoing and that further verification could lead to disqualification.

The admission comes after SaharaReporters reported that more than 500 candidates whose names appeared on the Customs’ published list allegedly failed to receive invitations for training scheduled to commence on October 9, 2026, at the Customs Training College.

The controversy followed the publication of a list of 3,852 successful candidates selected from 573,680 applicants who participated in the recruitment exercise.

Several candidates had complained that, despite passing earlier stages of the exercise and finding their names on the published list, they were not invited to report for training. Some alleged that candidates whose names did not appear on the published list had received invitations instead.

The affected candidates said they had participated in the recruitment process, completed the required screening stages and, in some cases, made substantial personal sacrifices in anticipation of their appointments.

Some reportedly left their previous jobs, while others spent money travelling to Abuja for documentation, physical screening and medical evaluations, believing they had successfully secured employment with the Service.

During the BBC Hausa interview, Maiwada explained that the recruitment exercise began with nearly 570,000 applications, from which the Service intended to recruit approximately 3,700 personnel.

He said the first stage involved an online examination conducted without the candidates appearing physically before the recruitment officials.

According to him, applicants seeking positions on Salary Grade Level 8, including those with bachelor’s degrees and Higher National Diplomas (HNDs), were subsequently invited to undertake an additional physical examination.

“After completing that stage, we invited candidates seeking to enter Salary Grade Level 8, that is, applicants with bachelor’s degrees or Higher National Diplomas (HNDs), to take an additional physical examination,” he said.

Maiwada explained that the candidates’ performances were assessed before the Service published the list of those invited for further screening.

He said additional checks were conducted to determine whether the candidates met the Service’s age, medical and other eligibility requirements.

“At this stage, we had to conduct further checks. First, we checked whether candidates had traces of illicit drugs or other substances associated with drug abuse in their blood. Second, we checked their ages,” he said.

He explained that applicants seeking degree-holder positions who were above the stipulated age limit of 35 years were liable to disqualification.

The spokesperson also said the Service assessed candidates’ medical fitness to determine whether they could withstand the physical demands of Customs duties.

According to him, some candidates were found to have medical conditions, including Hepatitis B and excessively high blood pressure, which the Service considered during its fitness assessments.

“Some candidates, for instance, were found to have Hepatitis B, while others had excessively high blood pressure. If someone with such a condition were subjected to the physical demands of the job, it could pose a serious problem,” he said.

During the interview, Maiwada was questioned about why the Service published candidates’ names before completing all the checks that could lead to their disqualification.

The BBC Hausa interviewer asked whether the Customs had not verified the relevant requirements before publishing the list.

In response, Maiwada said the list was intended to identify candidates who had passed the preceding stages and were eligible to proceed to the next phase of the recruitment process.

He suggested that some candidates might have misunderstood the significance of the publication and assumed that their inclusion meant they had completed every stage successfully and would automatically receive invitations for training.

“That list was published to identify those who had passed the previous stages and were qualified to proceed to the next stage,” he said.

He added that some of the candidates complaining about their exclusion might have assumed that their appearance on the list meant they had passed all the stages and were guaranteed a place at the training college.

However, his explanation has not resolved the concerns raised by candidates who said they had been publicly listed as successful applicants but were subsequently left without training invitations.

When asked how it was possible that nearly 80 per cent of the candidates whose names appeared on the published list were reportedly complaining that they did not know anyone who had been invited for training, Maiwada referred to a statement previously issued by the Service.

He said the statement outlined several reasons why candidates had been disqualified from the exercise.

According to him, the reasons included the submission of forged documents and failure to meet the stipulated age requirements.

“Just yesterday, we issued a statement explaining the number of candidates we disqualified and outlined approximately four or five reasons for their disqualification. Among them were candidates who presented forged documents. We also found some whose ages exceeded the stipulated limit,” he said.

The interviewer also raised allegations that some elderly candidates had reported for training despite the stated age restrictions.

Maiwada responded that such allegations were based on observations made by those raising them.

Asked whether the names of everyone invited for training would correspond with those on the published list, Maiwada said candidates who believed they had met all the requirements but were unfairly treated could submit complaints to the Service.

He said the agency would consider such complaints but warned that candidates who obtained places through fraudulent means would face consequences.

“Anyone who believes they met the requirements and was treated unfairly has the right to submit a complaint, and we will listen to them,” he said.

He added that the Service would take appropriate action, including prosecution, if investigations established that a candidate had forged documents or submitted false information.

“However, if we discover that we made a mistake, we will publicly acknowledge it and correct it,” Maiwada said.

When the interviewer pointed out that his comments could be interpreted as a threat against candidates raising concerns, the spokesperson rejected that interpretation.

He insisted that the Service was prepared to correct any genuine mistakes but would not tolerate fraud or the improper acquisition of recruitment positions.

“However, if someone’s name appeared on the list when they were not qualified to be included, that is a different matter,” he said.

Pressed further on whether he was admitting that unqualified candidates had been included on the published list, Maiwada maintained that the Service would take action where necessary.

Asked directly whether the Customs would remove the names of candidates who had secured places through improper processes, he answered in the affirmative.

“Certainly. If someone obtained a place through an improper process, we will take the necessary action,” he said.

Earlier, SaharaReporters reported that the Federal Character Commission (FCC) had called for the immediate suspension of the ongoing recruitment exercise by NCS over alleged violations of federal character principles, raising fresh concerns about fairness, transparency and the equitable distribution of employment opportunities across the country.

The commission demanded that the NCS and its Comptroller-General suspend the exercise and provide relevant recruitment records for investigation, following allegations that the recruitment process was conducted without the FCC’s monitoring and oversight.

Abdulwasiu Bawa-Allah, chairman of the FCC Financial Services Committee, made the demand during a press briefing in Abuja on Thursday.

Bawa-Allah said the commission was not invited to monitor the recruitment exercise, despite its constitutional responsibility to promote, monitor and enforce compliance with federal character principles in appointments and recruitment across federal ministries, departments and agencies.

He said the allegations required a thorough investigation, adding that correspondence sent by the commission to the NCS over its concerns had allegedly been ignored.

According to him, the failure to involve the FCC in the exercise raised questions about whether the recruitment process complied with approved distribution formulas designed to ensure equitable representation of states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

The demand comes amid complaints from applicants who participated in the Customs recruitment exercise, with some alleging that they were excluded from proceeding to the training college despite appearing on the recruitment shortlist.

Bawa-Allah said the recruitment process had affected the personal and professional lives of some candidates, who allegedly resigned from their jobs, trained replacements and incurred substantial expenses in anticipation of their eventual employment.

“Some affected candidates resigned from their jobs, trained replacements, incurred substantial expenses and made important personal decisions,” he said.

“They did all these with the expectation that their published selection would lead to training and formal engagement.”