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Some applicants left out of the Nigeria Customs Service’s latest recruitment training have threatened to sue the agency unless their complaints are addressed within seven days.
The aggrieved candidates said they were named among successful applicants in the 2024/2025 recruitment exercise and received provisional employment offers through the official recruitment portal. However, they were subsequently prevented from joining the basic training programme.
In a petition dated October 26, 2026, their lawyer, Timibeleukedi D. Festus, asked the Comptroller-General of Customs to investigate the circumstances surrounding their exclusion and explain why they were not allowed to proceed despite their earlier selection.
The applicants maintained that they fulfilled the requirements communicated to them, including submitting medical fitness certificates from approved government hospitals, accepting their provisional offers and attending screening and documentation exercises.
Their legal representatives argued that the decision to exclude them without providing specific reasons raised concerns about the transparency and consistency of the recruitment process.
They are demanding a review of their cases, access to the records and criteria used in determining their eligibility, and reinstatement of those found to have satisfied the recruitment requirements. They also want formal appointment letters issued to candidates whose eligibility is confirmed.
The solicitors warned that failure to resolve the matter within seven days of receiving the petition could lead to legal proceedings against the service.
Reacting to the controversy, the Nigeria Customs Service acknowledged receiving complaints from applicants who were not invited to the training college despite appearing on the recruitment shortlist.
The agency’s spokesperson, Abdullahi Maiwada, said Comptroller-General Bashir Adewale Adeniyi had directed a review of individual complaints following discussions with some of the affected candidates.
However, the service stressed that appearing on the published list did not automatically guarantee final employment. It explained that recruitment involves several verification stages, including checks on academic credentials, age, physical fitness, medical condition and drug use.
The agency said the review was intended to address genuine grievances without compromising the standards governing the recruitment exercise.
