Candidates allege name substitution and fake letters in the Federal Fire Service recruitment exercise. The CG Fire Service warns of job racketeering and promises prosecution.
Job Racketeering Scandal Rocks Federal Fire Service Recruitment
Job Racketeering Scandal Hits Federal Fire Service Recruitment Allegations of job racketeering have rocked the Federal Fire Service (FFS) following claims that the Civil Defence, Correctional, Fire and Immigration Services Board (CDCFIB) substituted names of successful candidates with others after offering them probational appointments.
Candidates who applied through the official CDCFIB portal between November and December 2024 said they received letters inviting them for documentation, only to be denied entry when they showed up for the exercise in April 2025.
Several candidates told Sunday PUNCH that officers informed them their Trade Skill Numbers (TSNs) had already been assigned to other individuals. Some were even accused of presenting invalid letters, despite receiving SMS and email confirmations from CDCFIB.
How It Unfolded
A female candidate, who spoke anonymously, said she initially received a documentation invite for March 24, 2025, but it was rescheduled twice first to April 7, and then to April 17. When she eventually appeared, security personnel turned her away, claiming her letter was fake.
After persistent efforts, an officer checked the system and informed her that her TSN had already been used by another candidate who had completed training.
Similarly, another candidate narrated being denied entry and told his letter signed by the Board Secretary, Maj. Gen. Abdulmalik Jibrin (retd.) was invalid because the wrong person allegedly signed it. He, too, discovered that his TSN had been allocated to someone else.
Fire Service Responds
Reacting to the allegations, the Controller General of the Federal Fire Service, Abdulganiyu Jaji, dismissed claims of name substitution, challenging anyone with a genuine letter to present it.
Jaji blamed the situation on widespread job racketeering, noting that fraudsters had issued fake appointment and invitation letters to unsuspecting applicants.
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“To our surprise, the fraudsters completely unaware of our move went ahead and printed even more fake letters,” Jaji said. He added that the service had quietly suspended documentation to expose the scam.
He further warned that anyone caught presenting forged documents would face immediate arrest and prosecution.
Jaji stressed that all legitimate recruitment exercises would be conducted transparently through recognised government platforms, urging applicants to remain vigilant.
