Federal Government has announced that candidates who reached the oral interview stage of the ongoing recruitment into the country’s paramilitary services will begin checking their status from October 28, as the recruitment portal reopens for a compulsory free drug screening before appointment letters are issued.
The Civil Defence, Correctional, Fire and Immigration Services Board (CDCFIB) said the portal will remain open until November 13, 2026, allowing eligible candidates to confirm their status and generate codes required for the mandatory drug test.
Speaking after the board’s meeting on Thursday in Abuja, Secretary of the Board, retired Maj.-Gen. Abdulmalik Jubril, said the screening would be conducted by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) in line with the Federal Government’s policy on drug testing for prospective employees.
Jubril stressed that candidates would not pay any fee for the exercise because the Federal Government would bear the full cost.
“Candidates are not to pay anything. They are only to report to the NDLEA office, submit their samples and receive their results,” he said.
He warned candidates against paying anyone for the screening, urging them to report any demand for money to the nearest security agency.
According to him, every eligible candidate will receive a unique code through the recruitment portal, which will be presented at designated NDLEA offices for the screening.
Jubril explained that candidates who successfully complete the exercise must obtain a certificate confirming they are free from illegal drug use before they can receive their appointment letters.
“Every employee that has gone to get an appointment letter must submit the document alongside a certificate that clears him free of use of illegal drugs.
“After that they will proceed by converging in Abuja to collect their letters of appointment, and that is the documentation.
“So, you must come along with your certificate of free from drug abuse before you collect your letter,” he emphasised.
He added that the ongoing recruitment is the first phase of President Bola Tinubu’s plan to recruit 120,000 personnel into the Civil Defence, Correctional, Fire and Immigration Services over four years.
According to him, the current exercise covers the first batch of 30,000 recruits, with additional recruitment phases expected under the Federal Government’s employment programme.
The mandatory drug screening is aimed at ensuring that only candidates who meet the required health and integrity standards are employed into Nigeria’s paramilitary agencies, while strengthening professionalism and public confidence in the services.
