Customs Recruitment: Excluded Candidates Threaten Legal Action, Demand Reinstatement

Some candidates listed among successful applicants in the Nigeria Customs Service’s 2024/2025 recruitment exercise have threatened legal action over their exclusion from basic training despite receiving provisional appointment offers.

The affected candidates said their names appeared on the service’s final list of successful applicants published in July 2026. They subsequently received provisional appointment offers through the official recruitment portal and completed the stipulated requirements.

In a petition dated October 26, 2026, and addressed to the Comptroller-General of Customs, the candidates’ solicitors, Timibeleukedi D. Festus, gave the service seven days to review the decision and communicate its position.

The lawyers demanded the candidates’ reinstatement into the recruitment process, disclosure of the reasons for their exclusion and the issuance of formal appointment letters to those confirmed to have met the requirements.

According to the petition, the candidates were instructed to upload medical fitness certificates issued by approved government hospitals and formally accept their provisional offers within the specified period.

The solicitors said their clients complied with the conditions, participated in screening and documentation exercises, and submitted themselves to the prescribed verification procedures.

However, they alleged that the candidates were subsequently excluded from basic training and the applicable state command attachment without any explanation.

The lawyers argued that the decision had raised concerns about the consistency and transparency of the recruitment process, particularly regarding the criteria used to determine eligibility for training.

They urged the service to disclose the specific grounds for each candidate’s exclusion, including relevant screening records, assessment criteria and administrative decisions.

The petition also sought clarification of the recruitment regulations, approved deadlines and directives governing the transition from the publication of the final list and provisional appointment offers to selection for basic training.

The solicitors requested that candidates found to have satisfied all applicable requirements be reinstated and issued formal appointment letters and other relevant employment documents.

They further demanded that the outcome of the review and any corrective measures be communicated within seven days of receipt of the petition.

Warning of possible litigation, the lawyers said they had instructions from their clients to seek appropriate legal redress if the issues remained unresolved.

Customs orders case-by-case review

Responding to the complaints, the Nigeria Customs Service acknowledged concerns raised by applicants who were excluded from the training college despite appearing on the recruitment shortlist.

The service’s spokesperson, Abdullahi Maiwada, shared a statement indicating that the Comptroller-General had directed a case-by-case review of the complaints following a meeting with some of the affected applicants.

“The Service recognises the concerns raised by affected applicants and assures the public that the Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adeniyi, after meeting with some of the aggrieved applicants, has called for a case-by-case reappraisal to ensure legitimate complaints are heard,” the statement said.

The service, however, clarified that inclusion on the final shortlist did not automatically guarantee enlistment.

It explained that the recruitment process involved multiple stages of verification, including credential checks, physical fitness assessments, medical examinations, age verification and drug screening.

The proposed review is expected to provide an opportunity for the service to examine individual complaints and determine whether the exclusions were consistent with the applicable recruitment requirements.