News
Job racketeering rocks federal fire service
Many candidates purportedly recruited into the Federal Fire Service have alleged that the Civil Defence, Correctional, Fire and Immigration Services Board substituted their names with those of other persons after appointment.
The candidates, who claimed that they were offered probational appointments after applying for the job through the CDCFIB portal between November and December 2024, said they were denied documentation when they went for the exercise in April.
But the Controller General of the Federal Fire Service, Abdulganiyu Jaji, dismissed the allegation, asking those who feel unjustly denied to come forward with their letters.
Some of the candidates said FFS officers told them that their Trade Skill Numbers had been allocated to other people.
According to the candidates, the officers told them that the letters of documentation sent to each of them were no longer valid.
A letter of invitation for documentation to one of the candidates from the CDCFIB was sighted by our correspondent on Saturday.
The letter was signed by the Secretary of the board, Maj. Gen. Abdulmalik Jibrin (retd.).
It read, “Subsequent to your application for recruitment into the Federal Fire Service, and your participation in all our assessment and verification exercises, the board is pleased to inform you that you have been considered for probational appointment, subject to a few conditions which include participation in a medical examination that will be conducted by the medical personnel of the service.
“You are slated to appear before our team as scheduled: 10 a.m., Monday, March 24, 2025, at Metropolitan Fire Station, FCT Command, Kubwa, Abuja. Please note that the entirety of the recruitment process does not at any point attract any form of remittance.”
However, the candidates said their appointments for documentation were changed twice by the board.
In a message purportedly sent by the CDCFIB on March 23, the appointment was rescheduled to April 7.
“Please be informed that the previously announced documentation date has been rescheduled to April 7th, 2025. This change is due to the Board’s decision to adjust certain administrative procedures and ensure a smooth process, considering the upcoming holidays. Please note the venue: Metropolitan Fire Station, FCT Command, Kubwa, Abuja. We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause and appreciate your understanding,” the message read.
Another message sent on April 9 reads, “Kindly be informed that you are to present yourself for documentation on 17th April, 2025. Please note the venue: Metropolitan Fire Station, FCT Command, Kubwa, Abuja…”
However, the candidates said they could not do their documentation as they were denied entry into the venue despite receiving the messages via SMS and emails, along with the letter of invitation for the exercise.
Speaking with Sunday PUNCH, one of the candidates, who craved anonymity, said her TSN had been substituted for another candidate who had been documented and started working.
She said her name was no longer on the new recruit list when she went for documentation on April 17.
The lady said, “I applied for the FFS job in November 2024 via the portal. I didn’t go through anybody. All the processes were done on the FFS portal. In March 2025, I got my letter of invitation for documentation with a probational offer of appointment. I was asked to go to the FCT Command of the FFS for documentation on the 24th of March.
“I was already in Abuja when they sent another message that they had rescheduled our documentation date to April 7th, 2025. I had to travel back to my state. Afterwards, we got another message that our documentation had been postponed to 17th of April. I had to wait in Abuja because of the cost of transportation and every other thing.
“I went to the venue of the documentation on the date I was asked to appear. The security guard at the gate asked to see my letter of invitation, and he sent me back after I showed it to him. After a while, I went back to the security again and started mounting pressure on him.”
She added, “Later, somebody at that place took me inside the building. He asked where I got the letter and I told him I applied for the job via the FFS portal. He said the letter was fake. I asked what he meant by that — how could the letter be fake when I had been getting messages from the CDCFIB?
“While that was going on, another officer asked me to go upstairs, and then he checked my letter and name on the system. To my surprise, someone was already using my TSN. I was confused. He had to show me one master list and said someone’s name was already allocated to the TSN, and that the person had documented and finished training.”
Another victim also narrated a similar scenario to Sunday PUNCH, stating that he was denied access to the venue of the documentation after presenting his letter.
The candidate said he was told by one of the FFS officers at the gate that a wrong person had signed his letter, even when they saw that it was signed by the Secretary to the Board.
“I applied for the job on the FFS portal and after a while, I received a message from the CDCFIB on both email and SMS, informing me of my documentation schedule. After two postponements, I went to the FFS Command on Wednesday (April 23) but I was denied entry when I got there.
“After a while, I was directed to one officer who checked my letter. He laughed after checking it and declared, ‘This letter is not valid again.’ He emphasised that the letter was no longer valid, because the person who signed it (Maj. Gen. Abdulmalik Jibrin (retd.)) was not the right person to sign the letter.
“He brought out a ‘master list’ after that and I saw that the TSN on my letter had been allocated to another person. He asked me to go back to my sponsor, saying I might likely get help and be considered. Many of us are affected in this situation.”
Reacting, the CG FFS expressed concern over the rising cases of job racketeering involving unscrupulous agents who deceive desperate job seekers with fake appointment and invitation letters.
Jaji noted that the service did not authorise any third parties to conduct recruitment on its behalf and reiterated that all official processes were handled transparently through recognised government platforms.
He noted that the service uncovered several of fake letters, and made the strategic decision to quietly suspend the documentation process without any public announcement.
“To our surprise, the fraudsters—completely unaware of our move—went ahead and printed even more fake letters. We could only watch and laugh, knowing they had already exposed themselves.
“Henceforth, anyone caught presenting forged documents in a bid to secure employment will face immediate arrest and prosecution,” the CG said.
“On behalf of the Board, I challenge anyone in possession of a genuine appointment letter who claims to have been unjustly denied the opportunity to come forward with it”.
He further assured that genuine opportunities within the agency will always be publicly announced through proper, verifiable channels.
Halima Dangote, daughter of Nigerian industrialist Aliko Dangote, has disclosed the long-term ambition of the Dangote family to grow the business empire founded by her father into a company valued at about $200 billion.
Halima made the disclosure while speaking about the responsibilities that come with being a member of one of Africa’s most prominent business families.
According to a report by GhanaWeb, she said the family’s ambition goes beyond preserving the wealth created by Aliko Dangote, stressing that the next generation is expected to build on his achievements and significantly expand the conglomerate.
She also challenged the perception that she and her siblings have had an easy life simply because they were born into a wealthy family.
According to her, being the children of a highly successful businessman comes with significant expectations, particularly the responsibility of protecting, managing and expanding the business built by their father.
The Dangote Group has evolved from its beginnings as a trading company into a diversified conglomerate with operations spanning several key sectors of the African economy.
Its businesses include cement manufacturing, fertiliser production, petroleum refining and petrochemicals, among other industrial activities.
One of the group’s biggest investments is the Dangote Petroleum Refinery, which has expanded its operations and increased its processing capacity as it seeks to play a major role in meeting energy demand in Nigeria and beyond.
The conglomerate has also continued to pursue expansion across Africa, with investments aimed at strengthening its position in manufacturing and other strategic industries.
Halima’s comments underscore the role the younger generation of the Dangote family is expected to play in the future of the conglomerate.
Rather than simply inheriting the wealth accumulated by their father, the family is looking to expand the businesses and create an enterprise that operates on an even larger scale.
The proposed $200 billion valuation is a long-term ambition, not the current value of the Dangote Group. The target reflects the scale of growth the family hopes to achieve through expansion into new markets and increased investment in existing businesses.
Aliko Dangote has consistently pursued large-scale investments in sectors including refining, petrochemicals, fertiliser and cement, as part of his broader push to build globally competitive African businesses.
With the next generation increasingly involved in the family business, Halima’s remarks point to a long-term succession strategy focused not only on preserving the Dangote legacy but also on expanding its economic footprint.
The $200 billion ambition therefore represents the scale of the challenge facing the family’s younger generation as it seeks to sustain the conglomerate’s growth and build on the foundation laid by its founder.
…hails Gov Kefas, security agencies timely intervention
Senator representing Taraba Central, Haruna Manu, has appealed for calm and peaceful coexistence following the recent clash between Fulani and Mambilla communities in Sardauna Local Government Area of Taraba State.
Manu, in a statement personally signed by him, expressed condolences to the families of those who lost their lives in the violence and urged residents to put the incident behind them and embrace peace.
The clash reportedly occurred last Tuesday in Mbamga communities along the Nigeria-Cameroon border, leaving nine residents dead.
Reacting to the development, the senator called on his constituents and members of the affected communities to remain calm and avoid actions that could further escalate tensions.
“I want to appeal for understanding and plead with the families of the victims of the clash. This development is uncalled for, especially at this trying period for all and sundry,” Manu said.
He also commended Taraba State Governor, Agbu Kefas, for what he described as his timely intervention in the crisis.
“I want to equally thank His Excellency, Dr Agbu Kefas, for his timely intervention to quickly nip the clash in the bud before it escalates,” he added.
The former Taraba Deputy Governor also praised security operatives for restoring peace to the communities.
Manu urged the various communities to continue to promote peaceful coexistence and work together to prevent a recurrence of violence in the area.
More than 6,000 members of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) have defected to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Enugu State ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The defectors, led by the NDC’s former Enugu State Contact and Mobilisation Coordinator, Godwin Obasi, were formally received into the PDP by the party’s state leadership in Enugu on Saturday.
The reported figure of more than 6,000 was given by the defectors’ leadership and has not been independently verified. �
Vanguard News +1
Obasi said the group comprised members drawn from all 260 electoral wards and 17 local government areas of the state.
He said they decided to leave the NDC following dissatisfaction with what he described as the party’s choice of unpopular candidates for various elective positions.
“We decided that we were going to join the PDP. It is our right and choice. So, after we congregated, we are here today to officially join the PDP.
“We are from all the 260 wards and 17 local government areas in the state, and all of us have moved into the PDP from today,” Obasi said.
Obasi had earlier been identified as the NDC’s state coordinator for contact and mobilisation in Enugu, where he was involved in building the party’s grassroots structure ahead of the 2027 elections. �
Blueprint Newspapers Limited +1
Receiving the defectors, the Enugu State PDP Chairman, Vitus Okechi, welcomed their decision and assured them of equal rights and full participation in the affairs of the party.
Okechi said the new members would be integrated into the party’s structure and given opportunities to participate in its activities.
Also speaking, the PDP governorship candidate in the state, Uche Nnaji, assured the defectors of their full integration into the party.
Nnaji used the occasion to launch fresh criticism against the Enugu State Government, alleging that the administration had failed to fulfil some of its promises to residents.
He urged residents to participate actively in what he described as efforts to change the political direction of the state ahead of the 2027 elections.
Nnaji particularly criticised the state’s taxation policies, alleging that the government’s revenue drive was placing undue pressure on residents without corresponding benefits.
He further alleged that taxation had extended to newborn babies and deceased persons, while questioning the tangible impact of the revenue generated by the government.
On pensions and gratuities, Nnaji alleged that retirees in the state were being denied their entitlements.
“Our pensioners are not being paid. Enugu is the only place where pensions and gratuities are not being paid to our people.
“Nothing is paid to our people. Everybody is in a mess.
“Imo and Anambra pay their pensions and gratuities to date. What sin have we committed in Enugu State?” he asked.
Nnaji also claimed that the Enugu State Government had received substantially more federal funds under President Bola Tinubu than the three previous administrations combined.
He alleged that the funds received in about three years exceeded what the administrations of former governors Chimaroke Nnamani, Sullivan Chime and Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi received during their combined 24 years in office.
“And President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has released so much money to all the states. What this government here has received is more than what the three previous governors, Chimaroke, Sullivan and Ugwuanyi put together.
“What they received in 24 years, this government has received in about three years. We are talking of trillions,” he said.
He also questioned the level of internally generated revenue reported by the Enugu State Government in 2025, alleging that the revenue collection had imposed additional hardship on residents.
The allegations made by Nnaji were political claims made during the defection event and were not independently verified in the reports reviewed. �
wazobiareportersng.com.ng
Meanwhile, PDP chieftain Basil Ani described the movement of the NDC members into the PDP as a boost to the party’s grassroots mobilisation efforts ahead of the 2027 elections.
The development comes as political parties in Enugu intensify grassroots mobilisation and positioning ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Dangote Family Targets $200bn Empire, Halima Reveals
Senator Manu Urges Calm After Fulani-Mambilla Clash, Condoles With Victims’ Families
2027: Over 6,000 NDC Members Dump Party, Join PDP in Enugu
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