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From Noah Ebije, Kaduna
The Arewa Think Tank (ATT) has faulted the Kano State House of Assembly over its recent condemnation of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) recruitment exercise, describing the lawmakers’ allegations of bias and marginalization as unfounded and misleading.
In a statement yesterday, the Convener of ATT, Muhammad Alhaji Yakubu, said the recruitment process conducted by the Customs Service was fair, transparent, and strictly followed due process.
Yakubu cautioned public officials and opinion leaders against making unverified claims capable of undermining the integrity of national institutions and their leadership.
“What was said about the Customs recruitment by members of the Kano State House of Assembly is not true. The recruitment was fair; it was not politicized. People should be careful about what they say. We should not bring down the Customs boss,” Yakubu stated.
He commended the Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, for his professionalism and reforms aimed at modernising the service and promoting efficiency.
Yakubu noted that Adeniyi’s track record and international recognition were clear testaments to his competence and integrity.
“If he is not good on the job, he wouldn’t have been elevated at the world level of customs service,” the ATT Convener added.
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Adeniyi, who joined the Nigeria Customs Service in 1990, has over three decades of experience in Customs administration. He was confirmed as Comptroller-General in October 2023 and had his tenure extended by President Bola Tinubu in August 2025.
In addition to serving as Vice Chairman of the Nigeria Customs Service Board, chaired by the Minister of Finance, Adeniyi also holds prominent international roles, including President of the Nigeria Wrestling Federation and Chairperson of the World Customs Organisation (WCO) Council.
The ATT’s statement comes in response to a resolution by the Kano State House of Assembly, which on Wednesday, described the recently released Customs recruitment list as biased and unfair to northern Nigeria.
During plenary, lawmakers led by the Majority Leader, Lawal Dala, claimed the process violated principles of fairness, equity, and federal character, alleging that out of 1,785 newly recruited cadet officers, over 1,000 were from the South while the North secured fewer than 540 slots.
The House, under the leadership of Speaker Jibril Ismail Falgore, urged President Tinubu to cancel the exercise, calling the outcome “dangerous for national unity.”
However, the Arewa Think Tank maintained that such claims were baseless and politically motivated, emphasizing that national recruitment exercises must be assessed objectively and not through regional sentiments.
“Public confidence in federal institutions like the Customs Service must be protected. We should focus on merit and professionalism, not regional rivalry,” the statement concluded.
The 2025 Nigeria Customs Service recruitment exercise began in late 2024 and progressed through online tests and physical screenings between September and October 2025.
