Customs Chief Introduces Compulsory Drug Testing for Recruits, Serving Officers
The Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Adewale Adeniyi, has announced sweeping new measures to strengthen discipline and ensure professional integrity within the Service, beginning with a mandatory drug test for all incoming recruits and serving officers.
Adeniyi made the declaration on Friday, 21 November 2025, during the closing session of the Comptroller-General of Customs’ 2025 Conference in Abuja. He described the new directive as a decisive step towards building what he called “a fully drug-free institution.”
According to the Customs Chief, the mandatory drug test will apply immediately to all fresh recruits as part of the ongoing recruitment exercise. In addition, serving officers across the country will also undergo testing as the Service moves to enforce a stricter regime of health, behavioural, and professional standards.
He explained that the decision was informed by several troubling cases in which erratic conduct or poor judgment displayed by personnel in certain Commands had, upon investigation, been traced to substance misuse. Such incidents, he said, pose grave risks not only to national security but also to the Service’s operational credibility.
“There will be no compromise. We are going to ensure that every new officer is tested so that we do not begin to spend Service resources rehabilitating personnel,” Adeniyi said, emphasising that the NCS would no longer permit individuals with substance-abuse tendencies to assume critical roles involving revenue collection, enforcement, border management, and other sensitive duties.
Adeniyi stressed that officers must at all times be in full control of their faculties, particularly when making decisions that affect national revenue, border protection, or security operations. He noted that the era of ignoring early warning signs of drug misuse within the ranks had come to an end.
Beyond the drug-testing policy, the Comptroller-General urged officers to prioritise their health by undergoing regular medical checks. He highlighted that physical fitness and mental stability remain crucial to delivering effective service, particularly as the NCS continues to modernise its operations and expand its responsibilities.
The new measures are expected to be rolled out across all Zones, Commands, and the Headquarters, marking one of the most extensive internal-sanitation efforts undertaken by the Service in recent years.
