Customs Sound Alarm Over Fake Recruitment Lists Flooding Social Media

Warns Applicants to Rely Only on Official Portal as Over 573,000 Candidates Compete for Slots

BY GODWIN OBI

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has issued a strong warning to job seekers participating in its 2025 recruitment exercise to disregard viral social media posts claiming to reveal the number of shortlisted candidates per state.

Describing the posts as “false, misleading, and unauthorised,” the Service emphasized that no such information originated from its official communication channels.

In a statement released via its verified X handle on Saturday, titled “Unverified Social Media Post on 2025 Nigeria Customs Service Recruitment Exercise,” the NCS clarified that the only legitimate source of recruitment updates remains the official Recruitment Update Portal — https://updates.customs.gov.ng.

“The publication did not originate from the Nigeria Customs Service or any of its authorised communication channels. Members of the public, particularly applicants, are advised to disregard the information in its entirety,” the statement read.

Reaffirming its commitment to integrity and fairness, the Service assured that the recruitment process is strictly merit-based and conducted in line with global best practices and the Federal Character principle.

According to the NCS, the 2025 recruitment exercise, which commenced on December 27, 2024, attracted 573,523 applications across the Superintendent, Inspectorate, and Customs Assistant cadres. Following documentary screening, 286,697 candidates were shortlisted for the first phase of the Computer-Based Test (CBT), which was conducted in batches to ensure fairness and system efficiency.

The Service added that while all cadres participated in the initial CBT, only successful candidates in the Superintendent Cadre have advanced to the second phase — holding across designated centres in the six geopolitical zones.

The Customs Service urged Nigerians to remain vigilant against scammers exploiting the recruitment process for fraudulent purposes, warning that anyone caught spreading or profiting from fake updates will face the full weight of the law.