The Civil Defence, Correctional, Fire and Immigration Services Board (CDCFIB) has revealed that 221,996 applicants failed the 2025 computer‑based test (CBT), even after successfully completing earlier stages of the recruitment exercise.
The nationwide recruitment exercise is for its four paramilitary agencies, the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS), the Federal Fire Service (FFS) and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC).
The board reports that 221,996 candidates failed the final computer‑based test (CBT), despite over a million completed applications.
The Board opened the application portal from 14 July to 11 August 2025, with more than 1.8 million applications submitted across the five paramilitary agencies.
The Nigeria Immigration Service led with 703,499 applications, followed by the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps with 482,198 applications.
Breakdown of the application phase
- The Nigeria Immigration Service – 703,499 applications
- Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps – 482,198 applications
- Nigerian Correctional Service: 406,491
- Federal Fire Service: 165,212
- CDCFIB Secretariat: 116,122
Shortlisting phase
After screening, CDCFIB reported three distinct categories summarising the status of all applicants. According to the Board, 1,120,491 applications were fully completed and moved forward in the process. The Board also recorded:
- 432,935 incomplete applications
- 360,923 disqualified applications
Examination phase
The online Computer-Based Test (CBT) held from 12 to 19 November 2025 formed the third stage of the recruitment process.
Out of all shortlisted applicants, 71.8% wrote the exam, while 18.5% were absent. The Board also flagged 5.4% violations during the CBT exercise.
The score distribution that most candidates fell within the 61–80 score range
- 0–40: 221,996 candidates
- 41–60: 229,155 candidates
- 61–80: 278,543 candidates
- 81–100: 142,697 candidates
Applications by state
The recruitment exercise recorded strong participation across all 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), reflecting high interest in federal paramilitary roles. The top 10 states with the highest application submissions include:
Applications by state
The exercise targeted Nigerian citizens between 18 and 35 years, who meet minimum height requirements (1.65 m for men, 1.60 m for women), have clean criminal records, and are mentally and physically fit. Minimum educational qualification: at least SSCE with credits, while degrees in fields like law, engineering, medicine, or technical trades were encouraged.
The recruitment exercise recorded strong participation across all 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), reflecting high interest in federal paramilitary roles. The top 10 states with the highest application submissions include:
- 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
The states with the least number of applications are Bayelsa with 11,683, Rivers with 14,337, Lagos with 22,244, Ebonyi with 28,616, Delta with 29,316, FCT with 30,347, Ekiti with 31,154, Cross River with 31,742, Sokoto with 32,254, and Edo with 32,363.
