The Civil Defence, Correctional, Fire and Immigration Services Board (CDCFIB) has announced that candidates who successfully progressed to the oral interview stage of its ongoing recruitment drive are now able to check their application status via the official portal. This crucial update, effective from 28th October, mandates a subsequent drug test as part of the hiring process.
The online portal is scheduled to remain open for applicants until 13th November. This information was disseminated by Retired Major-General Abdulmalik Jibrin, the Secretary to the Board, following a board meeting held on Thursday, 22nd October 2026.
Major-General Jibrin stated, "The board has considered and also has agreed, since candidates have been waiting, by 28th of October, the portal for the candidate will open… and this portal will open from 28th October to 13th November."
Mandatory Drug Screening Initiated
Candidates are instructed to verify their status on the portal and then proceed to undertake a mandatory drug test with the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA). This requirement aligns with a directive issued by the Federal Government of Nigeria, which stipulates that all prospective employees due to receive an appointment letter must submit a certificate confirming their freedom from illicit drug use.
Elaborating on the new directive, Jibrin explained, "For candidates who have reached so far as to the oral interviews, to check their status and select and attend a mandatory drug test with the NDLEA in keeping with the Federal Government directive that every employee that has gone to get an appointment letter must submit the document alongside a certificate that clears him free of use of illegal drugs."
He further detailed the sequence of actions required from applicants: "So, the portal will open 28th October up to 13th November for people to check their status and then take a code and proceed to their respective state where the NDLEA office is and present themselves for a mandatory drug test."
Following the successful completion of the drug test, candidates will then convene in Abuja to collect their official letters of appointment. "It’s after that that they will all converge in Abuja to collect their letters of appointment, and that is the documentation. So, you must come along with your certificate of freedom from drug abuse before you collect your letter," Major-General Jibrin stressed.
Organisations Under CDCFIB's Purview
The CDCFIB holds responsibility for overseeing recruitment processes for several vital services within Nigeria, including the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, the Nigerian Correctional Service, the Federal Fire Service, and the Nigeria Immigration Service. The opening of the portal addresses significant delays that have affected the recruitment exercise for several months.