The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) yesterday insisted it would re-screen the 2,000 dismissed immigration recruits, despite their protest.
NIS spokesperson Mr Ekpedeme King spoke in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja.
The recruits have intensified protests in Abuja, following moves by the NIS to re-screen them.
King said screening of the dismissed “applicants”, whose names were published in newspapers, would hold as scheduled at the NIS Headquarters, Abuja, from August 29 to September 4.
He explained that the proposed background checks, which included security clearance, drug test, certificate verification and age were mandatory.
“The background checks are a normal practice globally when recruiting personnel into military and paramilitary agencies.
“Let me say that failure to submit oneself for screening would be regarded as withdrawal of interest in the recruitment exercise, ‘’he said.
He said the exercise was not a fresh recruitment, and urged the public not to forward any application to the NIS.
The 2,000 dismissed recruits had been protesting at the National Assembly and the Ministry of Interior since 2015 for their reinstatement.
Their protest, however, took a different twist on Monday when they joined members of the Bring Back our Girls (BBOG) movement to march on the Presidential Villa to demand their reinstatement.
They were employed by a committee set up by ex-President Goodluck Jonathan in 2015, following the tragedy that marred the March 2014 recruitment exercise.
Many candidates died and others sustained injuries at the recruitment exercise.
