By Divine Sam.

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has opened a fresh window for complaints from applicants who were screened out during its recent recruitment exercise, following concerns raised by candidates who made the shortlist but were denied admission into the training college.

The service disclosed this in a statement issued on Monday in Abuja by its spokesperson, Abdullahi Maiwada.

According to Maiwada, the Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adeniyi, ordered a case-by-case review of complaints after meeting with some aggrieved applicants seeking reconsideration of their screening outcomes.

The development follows the completion of the final stage of the recruitment exercise, which the NCS announced on September 23. The screening was conducted over two weeks at the Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC) in Gwagwalada, Abuja.

The exercise covered applicants for the Assistant Superintendent of Customs II, Inspectorate and Customs Assistant cadres.

Maiwada, however, clarified that appearing on the final shortlist did not automatically guarantee enlistment, noting that candidates were required to satisfy several verification and screening conditions before being admitted for training.

He explained that the process involved checks on academic credentials and other submitted documents, physical fitness and endurance assessments, medical examinations, age verification and drug screening.

According to the spokesperson, several issues were identified during the screening of 397 applicants.

“During the screening, issues relating to substance abuse (cigarettes and alcohol exclusive), physical fitness, medical records, age and submitted documentation were identified among 397 applicants.

“Some candidates were also rejected due to identified irregularities in their selection process during the screening .

“These findings underscore the service’s commitment to upholding established recruitment standards and ensuring that only candidates who satisfy all prescribed requirements are considered for enlistment into the service,” he said.

To address genuine grievances, the Customs spokesperson urged affected applicants to formally submit their personal details and complaints for examination.

He advised candidates to provide accurate information to enable the service to investigate their cases and determine whether the complaints merit further consideration.

Maiwada said the initiative was designed to ensure that legitimate concerns were addressed while protecting the fairness, credibility and integrity of the recruitment process.

He added that applicants whose complaints were accepted for review would be subjected to fresh screening, stressing that the new window did not guarantee automatic admission into the training college.

The spokesperson further warned that applicants found to have engaged in criminal activities, including certificate forgery or other offences, would be referred to the appropriate authorities for investigation and possible prosecution.

He emphasised that the review process would not amount to a relaxation of the established recruitment requirements.

The Nigeria Customs Service received 573,680 applications for 3,852 available positions in the recruitment exercise.

Of the successful candidates, 1,275 were selected for the Superintendent Cadre, 367 for the Inspectorate Cadre and 2,210 for the Customs Assistant Cadre.

The latest move provides an opportunity for aggrieved applicants to present their cases for review, although final admission will remain subject to compliance with the service’s recruitment standards.