Paramilitary recruitment: Board announces next step for shortlisted candidates

The Civil Defence, Correctional, Fire and Immigration Services Board (CDCFIB) has announced that shortlisted candidates for the first batch of 30,000 paramilitary recruits will be required to undergo mandatory drug tests before collecting their appointment letters.

The Board Secretary, Maj. Gen. Abdulmalik Jibrin (retd.), disclosed this on Thursday while briefing journalists on the outcome of the board’s meeting in Abuja.

He said the recruitment portal would open on October 28 and remain accessible until November 13, urging candidates who had reached the oral interview stage to check their status and obtain the required code for the drug test.

Jibrin explained that candidates would undergo the tests at designated National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) offices in their respective states before proceeding to Abuja to collect their appointment letters.

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He said the requirement was in line with the Federal Government’s directive that prospective employees must provide evidence that they are free from illegal drug use before receiving their appointment letters.

“The board has agreed that, since candidates have been waiting, the recruitment portal will open on October 28 and remain open until November 13,” he said.

He added that candidates must obtain their test codes through the portal and present certificates confirming that they are free from illegal drug use before collecting their appointment letters.

The board secretary stressed that candidates would not be required to pay for the drug tests, as the government would bear the cost.

“So no candidate will be charged. If any candidate reports and is asked to give money, let him report to the nearest security agency’s office,” he said.

Jibrin said the exercise formed part of President Bola Tinubu’s plan to recruit 120,000 personnel into the country’s paramilitary services within his first four-year tenure.

He added that the board was processing the first batch of 30,000 recruits under the initiative.

The recruitment covers four agencies: the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Nigerian Correctional Service, Nigeria Immigration Service and Federal Fire Service.

Jibrin urged successful candidates to comply with the stipulated procedures and complete their mandatory drug tests within the period specified for the portal exercise.