The Federal Character Commission (FCC) has instituted criminal proceedings against the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) and its Comptroller-General, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, before the Federal High Court in Abuja over alleged violations of the Federal Character Commission Act in relation to the Service’s 2025/2026 recruitment exercise.
The case, follows the Commission’s efforts to obtain relevant recruitment records, monitor the exercise, and ensure compliance with the Federal Character principle.
The charge, alleges that the Nigeria Customs Service failed to provide the requested recruitment records, including nominal rolls, despite a formal request dated March 25, 2026.
It also alleges that the Service failed to submit relevant stages of the recruitment exercise to the Commission for monitoring.
Additionally, the Commission alleges that the Service failed to comply with its October 23, 2026 directive to suspend specified recruitment and training activities pending review.
The charge further alleges that the Service failed to provide clear recruitment criteria and comprehensive eligibility guidelines, preventing the Commission from determining the state and geopolitical distribution of available vacancies.
The Commission emphasises that monitoring recruitment, accessing relevant records, and ensuring equitable representation are statutory responsibilities, not optional requirements that public institutions may disregard.