The Ohanaeze Youth Council (OYC) has accused the Minister of Interior, Dr Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, of alleged nepotism, abuse of power, interference in recruitment processes and excessive control over personnel administration in agencies under his ministry.
The allegations were contained in a national press briefing issued by the council in Abuja on Friday, November 6, 2026, and signed by its National President, Comrade Igboayaka O. Igboayaka, and Secretary-General, Comrade Ifeanyi Nweke.
In the statement, titled “The Dangerous Excesses of the Minister of Interior Dr Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo and the Quest for Wealth, Control of Power, and Nepotism, Consuming Patriotism and National Unity,” the council raised concerns about recruitment into four paramilitary agencies supervised by the Ministry of Interior.
The affected agencies are the Nigeria Correctional Service, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) and Federal Fire Service (FFS).
OYC Raises Concerns Over Prolonged Recruitment Exercise
The youth organisation alleged that the recruitment exercise into the four agencies had suffered repeated delays and changes over nearly two years.
It accused the minister of allegedly taking control of the process instead of allowing the Civil Defence, Correctional, Fire and Immigration Services Board (CDCFIB) to perform its statutory responsibilities.
According to OYC, the minister allegedly favoured a recruitment arrangement that would benefit his associates and potentially serve his political ambitions in Ondo State.
The council further alleged that the minister engaged an Information and Communications Technology (ICT) contractor without sufficient experience in security data management to handle the recruitment of 30,000 personnel.
It claimed that the CDCFIB and the affected agencies were largely left to implement directives from the minister rather than independently administer the exercise.
OYC warned that weaknesses in an online recruitment system could expose sensitive security information to criminal manipulation and potentially compromise the integrity of the recruitment process.
The organisation also alleged that the exercise had become commercialised, claiming that individuals with financial resources could exploit the process to secure positions for their preferred candidates.
However, the council did not provide documentary evidence to substantiate its allegations of financial transactions, political interference or the involvement of the minister’s associates.
N7,500 Drug Test Allegation: NDLEA Says Applicants Must Not Pay
One of the major concerns raised by OYC involved the alleged collection of N7,500 from recruitment applicants for mandatory drug integrity tests.
The council questioned why unemployed Nigerian youths should be required to pay for drug screening as part of a government recruitment exercise.
It argued that transferring the financial responsibility for the tests to applicants could disadvantage economically vulnerable candidates, some of whom allegedly struggled to raise money for transportation to screening centres.
OYC maintained that the Ministry of Interior should provide the necessary resources for the exercise instead of imposing additional financial burdens on applicants.
However, an important development emerged before the council’s November 6 briefing.
On October 30, 2026, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) announced that applicants undergoing recruitment into the four agencies would not be required to pay for the mandatory Drug Integrity Test.
In a statement issued by its Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, the agency disclosed that the Ministry of Interior had already made a bulk payment to cover the tests for all new recruits.
The NDLEA specifically warned applicants against making payments to its officials, testing centres or through any other payment channels.
It also directed candidates to access the designated drug-testing portal through their respective institutional recruitment platforms.
The announcement was subsequently reported by Channels Television and TheCable.
The NDLEA announcement raises an important question about the N7,500 payment allegation contained in the OYC briefing: whether the reported collections occurred before the agency’s clarification, through unauthorised channels, or under circumstances requiring further investigation.
Council Demands Release of Correctional Service Promotion Lists
OYC also accused the Ministry of Interior of alleged irregularities in the promotion process within the Nigerian Correctional Service.
According to the council, a promotion list involving Assistant Controllers-General under the professional cadre had reportedly been released, while the list of officers promoted from Controllers to Assistant Controllers-General under the General Duty cadre remained unpublished.
The organisation questioned the circumstances surrounding the alleged disparity, arguing that withholding the promotion list could create an uneven playing field for officers seeking leadership positions within the service.
It called on Tunji-Ojo to direct the immediate publication of all outstanding promotion lists to ensure transparency and equal opportunities for qualified personnel.
OYC Alleges Interference in Immigration Service Administration
The council also raised concerns about the administration of the Nigeria Immigration Service.
It alleged that the production of Combined Expatriate Residence Permit and Aliens Card (CERPAC), a key immigration documentation system, had been hijacked.
OYC further accused the minister of personally influencing postings and deployments of officers, including those involving the Comptroller-General, thereby allegedly undermining the established administrative hierarchy of the service.
The organisation did not provide supporting documents or specific examples of the alleged interference in its briefing.
Calls on Tinubu to Review Political Appointments
Beyond the allegations against the Interior Minister, OYC called on President Bola Tinubu to reconsider the criteria used in appointing young Nigerians to political offices.
The council argued that political appointments should take professional qualifications, experience and institutional knowledge into consideration.
It suggested that younger appointees should initially serve in junior ministerial positions under more experienced public officials before assuming principal ministerial responsibilities.
According to the organisation, such an arrangement would promote institutional continuity, strengthen public administration and prevent the weakening of established procedures.
OYC Makes Demands, Calls for Immediate Government Intervention
The council urged Nigerians, civil society organisations and other stakeholders to demand accountability from the Ministry of Interior.
Its principal demands include:
- Transparent recruitment: The minister should allow the CDCFIB and the relevant agencies to discharge their statutory responsibilities in the ongoing recruitment exercise.
- Investigation of alleged commercialisation: Authorities should investigate allegations that recruitment opportunities were monetised or manipulated to favour financially influential individuals.
- Protection of applicants: Recruitment applicants should not be subjected to unauthorised financial demands for mandatory screening exercises.
- Release of promotion lists: All outstanding promotion lists within the Nigerian Correctional Service should be published to guarantee fairness in the selection of officers for leadership positions.
- Publication of outstanding promotions: The council specifically demanded the immediate release of promotion results for qualified personnel of the Nigeria Immigration Service, NSCDC and Nigerian Correctional Service who participated in interviews conducted in April 2026.
- Preservation of institutional procedures: The Ministry of Interior should respect statutory administrative structures and avoid actions capable of undermining the professional dignity of personnel.
The council also called on President Tinubu to intervene and ensure that recruitment and promotion exercises within the ministry are conducted transparently and in accordance with established procedures.
Background: Ministry of Interior’s Position on Recruitment
The allegations come amid heightened public attention surrounding recruitment into the four paramilitary agencies.
In August 2026, the Ministry of Interior dismissed a purported press release claiming that the recruitment exercise had been postponed until after the 2027 general elections.
In a statement issued on August 13, the ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Dr Magdalene Ajani, described the circulating document as fake and unauthorised, insisting that the recruitment exercise was ongoing.
The ministry advised applicants to rely on official communication channels and the CDCFIB recruitment portal for authentic updates.
Meanwhile, in November 2024, Tunji-Ojo publicly stated that promotions across the paramilitary services would be based primarily on merit, warning personnel against lobbying for advancement.
As of the time of this report, no specific response from the minister or the Ministry of Interior addressing the allegations raised in the OYC’s November 6 briefing was identified.
The allegations therefore remain claims made by the youth organisation and have not been independently established.
The controversy raises broader questions about transparency, institutional independence, recruitment accountability and the protection of merit-based advancement within Nigeria’s security agencies.
