Nigeria’s equality watchdog has launched criminal proceedings against the country’s customs service and its head over alleged violations of federal recruitment laws.
The Federal Character Commission (FCC) filed four charges against the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) and its Comptroller-General, Bashir Adeniyi, at the Federal High Court in the capital, Abuja. The case centres on the customs agency’s 2025/2026 hiring exercise and alleged failures to comply with statutory oversight rules designed to ensure regional balance in public sector jobs.
Neither the NCS nor Mr. Adeniyi has publicly responded to the charges. In a statement, the FCC accused the customs service of ignoring a March 2026 request to hand over recruitment records, failing to allow officials to monitor the hiring process, and omitting clear eligibility criteria needed to assess whether jobs were distributed fairly across Nigeria’s states and geopolitical zones.
The commission also alleges the agency defied an October directive to suspend specific recruitment and training activities pending a review. Under Nigeria’s constitution, the FCC is mandated to enforce the “federal character” principle—a quota system intended to prevent any single ethnic group, state, or region from dominating government institutions.”No ministry, department or agency is above the law,” FCC spokesperson Ademola Lawrence said in the statement, adding that statutory oversight requirements were “not favours” for public institutions to grant at will.
The legal action marks an escalation by the commission under its executive chair, Hulayat Omidiran, who the agency said was determined to enforce “demonstrable compliance” rather than rely on administrative assurances.
The case, filed on 12 November, is awaiting a hearing date at the Federal High Court in Abuja.
Add Comment