Paramilitary recruitment portal reopens Oct 28 for drug test codes

Candidates who have reached the oral interview stage of the ongoing paramilitary recruitment can check their status again from October 28, when the Civil Defence, Correctional, Fire and Immigration Services Board (CDCFIB) reopens its portal.

The portal will stay open until November 13, 2026, the board's Secretary, Maj. Gen. Abdulmalik Jibril (retd.), told journalists in Abuja on Thursday after the board's second meeting of the year.

This is not a fresh recruitment. It is the final stretch of the exercise for the first batch of 30,000 recruits into four services: the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), the Nigerian Correctional Service, the Nigeria Immigration Service and the Federal Fire Service.

What candidates must do

Anyone who has passed the medical examination and oral interview should log on to the official CDCFIB portal within the window, confirm their status and obtain a code for a mandatory drug test.

With that code, the candidate goes to a National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) office in their state to give a sample. Jibril said results are issued immediately.

The test is free. Government will bear the cost, and the board said no candidate should pay anyone for it.

"If any candidate reports and is asked to give money, let him report to the nearest security agency's office," Jibril said.

After the screening, successful candidates travel to Abuja to collect their appointment letters. They must bring a certificate showing they are free from illegal drug use, in line with a Federal Government directive that new employees provide such evidence before their appointments are finalised.

The board also warned candidates to avoid touts and intermediaries promising to smooth their screening or appointment.

Promotions and discipline

The 30,000 intake is the first phase of a plan to recruit 120,000 personnel into the paramilitary services during President Bola Tinubu's first term, Jibril said.

The board also approved the promotion of 27,624 officers. The NSCDC accounts for the largest share, 17,343, followed by the Correctional Service with 4,601, Immigration with 4,097 and the Fire Service with 1,583.

Jibril said the approvals tackle promotion stagnation that has hurt morale in the services.

The board also disposed of 228 pending disciplinary cases involving officers across the four services, approving different measures after reviewing them, and validated a healthcare policy framework for personnel.

What happens next: Candidates should watch the CDCFIB portal from October 28 to November 13, get their codes and visit the NDLEA office in their state for the free test before heading to Abuja for their appointment letters.