The Federal Character Commission (FCC) says it has filed criminal charges against the Nigeria Customs Service and its Comptroller-General, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, at the Federal High Court in Abuja.
The Commission said the action was taken over alleged violations of the Federal Character Commission Act in connection with the Service’s 2025/2026 recruitment exercise.
According to the Commission, the case followed its efforts to obtain relevant recruitment records, monitor the exercise and ensure compliance with the Federal Character principle.
It alleged that the Customs Service failed to provide the requested recruitment records, including nominal rolls, despite a formal request said to have been made on March 25, 2026.
The Commission further alleged that the Service did not submit relevant stages of the recruitment exercise for monitoring as required.
It also claimed that the Service disregarded its directive of October 23, 2026 to suspend specified recruitment and training activities pending review.
In addition, the Commission alleged that the Service failed to provide clear recruitment criteria and comprehensive eligibility guidelines, which it said prevented it from determining the state and geopolitical distribution of available vacancies.
The Commission maintained that monitoring recruitment, accessing relevant records and ensuring equitable representation are statutory responsibilities that public institutions are bound to comply with.