Outrage In Kano! Lawmakers Reject Customs Recruitment List, Accuse FG Of Favoring Southwest States

The Majority Leader of the Kano State House of Assembly, Lawan Hussaini Dala, has condemned what he termed “gross injustice and regional imbalance” in the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) recruitment exercise.

Speaking during Wednesday’s plenary, October 29, 2025, Dala alleged that the process violated the Federal Character principle, claiming it was “deliberately structured to favour the South over the North.”

The lawmaker stressed that all federal recruitment exercises must reflect fairness, inclusivity, and constitutional equity, accusing the Customs Service of ignoring the oversight role of the Federal Character Commission (FCC).

“I rise to challenge the ongoing Customs recruitment. There’s clear injustice. The Federal Character principle, which ensures fair representation, was completely ignored,” he said.

Southwest Dominates Recruitment List

Dala disclosed that out of 1,785 successful candidates, the Southwest region took more than half of the total slots, describing it as “a slap on fairness.”

According to him, Lagos got 207 slots, Ogun 145, Ondo 132, Osun 127, Oyo 108, while Ekiti, which he compared to “not more than Nasarawa Local Government in Kano,” received 93 slots — totalling 812 slots for the Southwest alone.

Northwest Marginalised

In contrast, the Northwest was given a mere fraction of the total intake — Kano (31), Katsina (20), Jigawa (18), and Zamfara (16) — amounting to barely 7% of total recruits.

“This is injustice. If we remain silent, our people will continue to be sidelined. The Customs Service, in a few years, will become dominated by one region,” Dala warned.

He cautioned that such imbalances could fuel resentment, deepen mistrust, and endanger national unity if not corrected.

Dala urged the Federal Character Commission, National Assembly, and NCS to immediately review the recruitment list to ensure equity.

Other lawmakers echoed his concerns, calling for urgent corrective action.

The Speaker, in his response, praised Dala for “defending justice and fairness,” and directed the House Committee on Federal Character to investigate the recruitment figures and present a detailed report to the Assembly.