WorldStage— The Federal Character Commission (FCC) has instituted criminal proceedings against the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) and its Comptroller-General, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, over alleged violations of statutory recruitment oversight during the agency’s 2025/2026 employment exercise.
According to court documents filed at the Federal High Court in Abuja, the four-count charge sheet marked FHC/ABJ/CR/772/2026 and dated November 12, 2026, names the NCS as the first defendant and Adeniyi as the second defendant.
The prosecution stems from the Customs Service’s alleged refusal to furnish critical recruitment records and its failure to submit the exercise to constitutional oversight.
The four-count charge details several core infractions, including
failure to furnish records – the NCS allegedly ignored a March 25, 2026, formal demand for nominal rolls and documentation, with Adeniyi accused of recklessly permitting the omission.
Another infraction for which the agency is being charged related to evading oversight of which the agency reportedly bypassed mandatory FCC monitoring between September 14 and October 7, 2026.
Another infraction is that it defied directives by continuing training operations in defiance of an October 23, 2026, order to suspend the exercise.
It was also charged for failing to provide eligibility guidelines and thereby preventing the FCC from confirming equitable distribution of vacancies across geopolitical zones under Section 14(3) of the Federal Character Commission Act.
The legal showdown follows high-stakes friction from an exercise that attracted 573,680 applicants for 3,852 roles.
Following the July final list and October training launch, excluded applicants protested.
Although Adeniyi ordered an internal review for 397 affected candidates, the FCC insists full regulatory compliance is non-negotiable to ensure national equity.
