Odita Sunday 
Customs Reopens Recruitment Complaints, Orders Fresh Screening for Aggrieved Applicants
By Odita Sunday
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has opened a fresh window for aggrieved applicants screened out of its recent recruitment exercise to submit complaints for review, warning that candidates found culpable of certificate fraud or other criminal offences will face prosecution.
The Service said the Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, MFR, had directed a case-by-case reappraisal of complaints following a meeting with some affected applicants who were shortlisted but subsequently barred from proceeding to the training college.
In a press statement issued on Monday, October 19, 2026, the National Public Relations Officer of the NCS, Deputy Comptroller of Customs Abdullahi Maiwada, said the review was intended to ensure that legitimate grievances received appropriate attention without compromising the integrity of the recruitment process.
Maiwada, however, clarified that appearing on the final shortlist did not automatically guarantee enlistment, stressing that all applicants must satisfy the Service’s prescribed recruitment requirements.
According to him, the screening exercise involves several stages of verification, including credential and document checks, physical fitness and endurance assessments, medical examinations, age verification, drug screening and other mandatory requirements.
He disclosed that screening identified issues involving substance abuse, excluding cigarettes and alcohol, physical fitness, medical records, age and submitted documentation among 397 applicants.
The Service also identified irregularities in the selection process involving some candidates, prompting their rejection.
The NCS said the findings underscored the need to enforce established recruitment standards to ensure that only candidates who meet all prescribed requirements are considered for enlistment.
To address genuine complaints, Maiwada urged affected applicants to submit their details and grievances through the designated email address, **helpdesk@customs.gov.ng**, advising them to provide accurate information to facilitate the review of their cases.
He said the initiative was designed to provide a formal channel for resolving legitimate concerns while preserving fairness, transparency and credibility in the recruitment exercise.
The Customs spokesperson further explained that applicants who take advantage of the new window would undergo fresh screening, warning that the review would not amount to an automatic admission into the training college.
He added that where investigations establish criminal conduct, including certificate fraud and other offences, the affected individuals would be referred for appropriate legal action and prosecution.
The Service urged aggrieved candidates and members of the public to remain calm and use the designated complaint channel rather than resorting to other means of expressing their grievances.
Reaffirming the NCS’s commitment to accountability and a credible recruitment process, Maiwada said the Service remained open to genuine complaints but would not compromise the standards required of personnel responsible for national security, border protection, revenue collection and public safety.
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