The Civil Defence, Correctional, Fire and Immigration Services Board (CDCFIB) says 221,996 candidates failed the 2025 computer-based test (CBT), the final screening stage of its nationwide recruitment exercise.
The exercise covers four federal paramilitary agencies:
- Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS)
- Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC)
- Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS)
- Federal Fire Service (FFS)
The Board received over 1.8 million applications, with 1,120,491 of them fully completed and cleared for shortlisting.
Application Breakdown
- NIS: 703,499
- NSCDC: 482,198
- NCoS: 406,491
- FFS: 165,212
- CDCFIB Secretariat: 116,122
Another 432,935 applications were incomplete, while 360,923 were disqualified during screening.
Examination Stage
The CBT, held from 12–19 November 2025, recorded:
- 71.8 per cent participation
- 18.5 per cent absence rate
- 5.4 per cent flagged violations
Score distribution:
- 0–40: 221,996 candidates
- 41–60: 229,155
- 61–80: 278,543
- 81–100: 142,697
Most candidates fell within the 61–80 score range.
Application by State
The recruitment drew applicants from all 36 states and the FCT. The top 10 states by submissions were:
- Kogi – 116,378
- Kaduna – 114,797
- Benue – 110,776
- Kano – 89,501
- Niger – 78,916
- Katsina – 77,598
- Nasarawa – 75,995
- Adamawa – 75,753
- Oyo – 68,489
- Plateau – 67,365
States with the lowest applications included Bayelsa (11,683), Rivers (14,337), Lagos (22,244), Ebonyi (28,616) and Delta (29,316).
Eligibility Criteria
Applicants were required to be Nigerian citizens aged 18–35, meet height requirements (1.65m for men, 1.60m for women), possess clean criminal records, and be physically and mentally fit. Minimum qualification was SSCE, with higher degrees in law, engineering, medicine and technical fields encouraged.
