Pecohub Candidates shortlisted in the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) recruitment exercise protested at the service’s headquarters in Abuja on Monday, alleging that their names had been removed from the list and replaced with those of people who did not take the test.
The protesters, who gathered in front of the NCS headquarters, demanded justice, a review of their cases and the issuance of their Training Identification Numbers, alleging that the service had failed to address their complaints despite their efforts to seek redress through official channels.
They also accused the NCS of failing to comply with demands by the Federal Character Commission (FCC) to suspend the training exercise, while claiming that emails they were directed to send to the service to lodge their complaints had not been acknowledged.
The protesters said they resorted to the demonstration after their attempts to resolve the matter through correspondence failed to produce a response.
“They didn’t comply with the FCC demands to suspend the training, and the complaints they asked us to send to the email address were not acknowledged. That is why we are pressing it further with this protest,” one of the protesters said.
The aggrieved candidates maintained that they were among those whose names appeared on the published final list of successful applicants but alleged that they were subsequently excluded from the training process.
“We are on the final list for the Nigeria Customs Service recruitment. Customs has sidelined our names. We were replaced with people who didn’t attend the exams. We need justice. Review our cases and give us our Training Identification Numbers,” one of them said.
They further insisted that they had not been disqualified for certificate forgery, drug-related offences or misconduct, challenging the authorities to substantiate any allegations that could justify their exclusion.
“No certificate forgery, no drug-related issues, no misconduct,” they declared.
During the demonstration, the candidates carried placards bearing various inscriptions calling on the Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, to honour the published recruitment list and ensure that eligible candidates were not unfairly excluded.
One of the placards read: “3,852 Published Finalists Must Stand! Recall Our Training.”
Another referenced Adeniyi’s July 27, 2026, announcement of the final recruitment list, stating: “CGC Adeniyi Congratulated Us on July 27, 2026 – Honour the Published Board List.”
The protesters also displayed a statement attributed to the Comptroller-General, which they said demonstrated the need for the service to stand by the published list.
“The list we have published is one I am prepared to defend on its merits and the standards that the service set for itself,” the statement read, attributing the remarks to CG Bashir Adewale Adeniyi.
The candidates explained that the publication of their names and the subsequent screening process had given them reason to expect that they would proceed to training, unless they were formally disqualified on established grounds.
They called on the Customs authorities to explain why candidates whose names appeared on the published final list were left out of the training process.
Other placards read: “Shortlisted, Screened & Published! Why Sideline Legitimate Candidates?” and “We Passed CBT, Credential Verification & Tradoc Medicals In Abuja!”
The protesters also strongly rejected any suggestion that drug-related concerns could justify their exclusion, insisting that they possessed official clearance documents to support their claims.
They further displayed messages stating: “Official Ndlea Clearances Attached!” and “Disprove Defamatory Disqualification Claims!”
Another inscription read: “Our Evidence Folders Contain Certified Official Medical & NDLEA Results!”
The candidates also claimed to have obtained independent drug-integrity test results through NDLEA commands in their respective states, which they said supported their position that they had no drug-related issues.
