Paramilitary Recruitment: NDLEA Cautions Applicants Over N7,500 Drug Test Fee

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has warned candidates shortlisted for recruitment into four paramilitary agencies against paying for the mandatory Drug Integrity Test, insisting that the exercise is free for all affected applicants. The agency said the Ministry of Interior had already made bulk payment to cover the testing of new recruits, following reports that some candidates had paid N7,500 through its drug testing portal despite earlier assurances that the exercise would attract no charges. The affected agencies are the Nigerian Correctional Service, Nigeria Immigration Service, Federal Fire Service and Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps. In a statement on Friday, the NDLEA Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, said arrangements had been concluded for the tests as part of the ongoing recruitment process. He stressed that no candidate or personnel presenting for the exercise was required to make payment, warning applicants against paying NDLEA officials, testing centres or any other channel for the service.

The agency advised candidates to access its Drug Integrity Test portal through designated links or access points to be provided on their respective institutional recruitment portals. It explained that the arrangement would allow applicants to complete registration and documentation before proceeding for testing without additional charges. The warning follows an announcement by the Civil Defence, Correctional, Fire and Immigration Services Board that its recruitment portal opened on October 28 for shortlisted candidates from the first batch of 30,000 paramilitary personnel to check their status and undertake the mandatory tests. The Board Secretary, retired Major General Abdulmalik Jibrin, had said the portal would remain open until November 13, urging candidates who passed the oral interview to confirm their status and obtain the code required for testing. He added that applicants would undergo the tests at designated NDLEA offices in their respective states before proceeding to Abuja to collect their appointment letters.

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