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 Civil Defence, Correctional, Fire and Immigration Services Board (CDFIB) has said.
The board announced on Thursday that its recruitment portal would open on October 28 and close on November 13, allowing candidates who reached the oral interview stage to confirm their status and obtain codes for the tests.
The Board Secretary, Maj. Gen. Abdulmalik Jibrin (retd.), disclosed this while briefing journalists on the outcome of the board’s meeting in Abuja.
He said candidates would take the tests at designated National Drug Law Enforcement Agency offices in their respective states before travelling to Abuja to collect their appointment letters.
The requirement follows a Federal Government directive that prospective employees must provide certificates confirming they are free from illegal drug use before receiving their appointments.
Jibrin stressed that the tests would be free, warning candidates against paying anyone to access the service.
“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.
The recruitment is part of President Bola Tinubu’s plan to enlist 120,000 personnel into the country’s paramilitary services within his first four-year tenure. The current exercise covers the first 30,000 recruits.
The agencies involved are the Nigerian Correctional Service, Nigerian Immigration Service, Federal Fire Service and Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps.
The board urged shortlisted candidates to check the portal and complete the drug-testing process within the stipulated period to avoid delays in collecting their appointment letters.
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