The Federal Character Commission (FCC) has demanded the immediate suspension of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) recruitment exercise over alleged violations of federal character principles and claims that more than 500 candidates were unfairly excluded from training.
Chairman of the FCC Financial Services Committee, Abdulwasiu Bawa-Allah, made the demand at a press briefing in Abuja on Thursday, accusing the NCS of conducting the recruitment without the commission’s mandatory monitoring and ignoring its attempts to intervene.
Bawa-Allah said candidates whose names appeared on the final lists published between July 28 and 30, 2026, had completed screening, documentation and medical examinations but were not invited for training. He alleged that some candidates who were not on the published lists had received invitations instead.
He said the development had triggered anxiety and allegations of manipulation, with some affected applicants resigning from their jobs, training replacements and incurring significant expenses in anticipation of formal employment. Bawa-Allah said the NCS had acknowledged complaints in an October 19 statement but failed to address the concerns adequately.
He also alleged that the service ignored the commission’s correspondence and treated efforts to engage it with disdain. Citing the 1999 Constitution, as amended, Bawa-Allah said the FCC was constitutionally empowered to monitor and enforce equitable representation in public appointments and recruitment.
He added that federal institutions were required to involve the commission in recruitment exercises and reconcile successful candidates with approved state-by-state distribution formulas before obtaining a Certificate of Compliance. He stressed that the commission was not seeking the recruitment of unqualified applicants but insisting on a transparent process that gave suitably qualified Nigerians a fair opportunity, irrespective of their state of origin or background.
Bawa-Allah urged the Nigeria Customs Service and its Comptroller-General to suspend training immediately, submit relevant recruitment records and provide evidence of compliance with federal character requirements. He warned that the commission would invoke its constitutional and statutory investigative and enforcement powers to address any verified irregularities, reaffirming its commitment to merit, fairness and transparency in public sector recruitment.