File photo: Comptroller-General, Customs, Adewale Adeniyi
By Deborah Nnamdi
The Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, on Tuesday announced a new policy requiring compulsory drug testing for all recruits and serving officers of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS).
Speaking at the closing session of the CGC’s 2025 Conference in Abuja, Adeniyi said the measure is part of the ongoing recruitment exercise and aims to prevent substance-dependent individuals from joining the Service.
“The Nigeria Customs Service has concluded arrangements to subject all incoming officers and men to a mandatory drug test,” said Adeniyi, as quoted in a statement by Customs spokesperson Abdullahi Maiwada. “This will be carried out across all Zones, Commands, and at the Headquarters. We will no longer tolerate personnel making sensitive decisions under the influence of drugs.”
The policy will initially apply to recruits but will eventually extend to all serving officers as the Service moves toward becoming “a fully drug-free institution,” Adeniyi added. He cited cases in some commands where erratic behaviour and questionable decisions were traced to substance abuse as part of the motivation for the policy.
“There will be no compromise. Every new officer will be tested so that we do not begin to spend Service resources rehabilitating personnel,” he said, warning that lapses linked to drug use will not be tolerated. Adeniyi also encouraged officers to maintain regular medical checks to ensure both mental and physical fitness.
The directive aligns with broader reforms in Nigeria’s security sector, following similar drug-testing measures introduced by the police, immigration, and correctional services after incidents of misconduct linked to substance abuse.
This move comes months after the Chairman of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa (retd.), urged all security and uniformed agencies to institutionalise mandatory drug testing to strengthen Nigeria’s fight against drug abuse and trafficking.
Analysts see the Customs’ new drug-testing regime as a step toward tightening discipline, reducing operational risks, and boosting public confidence in the Service’s frontline personnel.
