The Ohanaeze Youth Council (OYC) has accused the Minister of Interior, Dr Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, of allegedly hijacking recruitment and promotion processes in agencies under his ministry, warning that the development could undermine national security and institutional integrity.

The council also alleged favouritism, monetisation and undue interference in recruitment into the Nigeria Correctional Service, Nigeria Immigration Service, Federal Fire Service and Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps.

OYC National President, Comrade Igboayaka O. Igboayaka, made the allegations in a press statement on Friday, calling on President Bola Tinubu to intervene and ensure transparency in the ministry.

Igboayaka, who signed the statement alongside Secretary-General, Comrade Ifeanyi Nweke, urged Nigerians to prevail on the minister to ensure that recruitment and promotion exercises were transparent and merit-based.

According to the council, recruitment into the four agencies has suffered prolonged delays and repeated changes for nearly two years, allegedly due to the minister’s desire to favour his associates and use the exercise to advance his reported governorship ambition.

OYC noted that the Nigeria Police Force had conducted two recruitment exercises within the period, while the Department of State Services (DSS) and Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) had also completed theirs.

It said recruitment into the agencies under the Ministry of Interior had been conducted successfully for decades in collaboration with the Civil Defence, Correctional, Fire and Immigration Services Board (CDCFIB), until the last exercise conducted by the Immigration Service in 2023.

The council alleged that Tunji-Ojo had deprived the board and the agencies of their statutory responsibilities, taking over the recruitment process and engaging an information and communications technology agent allegedly lacking experience in security data management.

It warned that the virtual recruitment of 30,000 personnel without adequate safeguards could expose the process to criminal manipulation.

OYC further alleged that the exercise had been commercialised, with individuals allegedly paying huge sums to influence the recruitment of personnel without proper consideration of their security backgrounds.

The council said the alleged practices could undermine the Federal Government’s efforts to tackle insecurity.

It also faulted the reported requirement for applicants to pay N7,500 for drug tests, describing it as an additional financial burden on unemployed youths.

The council argued that the ministry should provide the necessary testing facilities rather than transfer the cost to applicants, many of whom, it claimed, had to borrow money for transportation to test centres.

On the Correctional Service, OYC alleged that the promotion list of Assistant Controllers-General under the professional cadre had been released, while that of officers promoted from Controllers to Assistant Controllers-General under the general duty cadre remained unpublished.

It called for the immediate release of the outstanding list to ensure equal opportunities for officers seeking leadership positions.

The council also alleged that the minister had interfered in Immigration Service postings and deployments, including those of senior officers, thereby weakening the service’s established hierarchy.

OYC appealed to President Tinubu to prioritise competence, experience and qualifications in appointing young Nigerians to political offices.

It also demanded the immediate release of promotion lists for personnel of the Immigration, Civil Defence and Correctional Services who reportedly passed an interview conducted in April 2026 by the Army Resource Centre.

Meanwhile, the minister’s response to the allegations was not contained in the statement. (The Sun)