More than 6,000 applicants have been disqualified from the ongoing security services recruitment exercise during the medical screening stage after testing positive for drug use or exhibiting mental health conditions, the Ministry of the Interior has revealed.
Speaking during an interview on Pan African TV on Saturday, 23 May, the Minister for the Interior, Mohammed Muntaka Mubarak, disclosed that more than 100,000 applicants underwent medical examinations as part of the recruitment process.
Given increasing concerns regarding personnel wellbeing within the security services, the medical screening process was expanded beyond standard physical and laboratory checks to include drug testing and mental health assessments.
The Minister explained that more than 4,000 applicants failed the drug tests, whilst approximately 2,000 others were disqualified on mental health grounds.
“We have over 100,000 people who went through the medicals. Because of the large numbers, and because of what we have observed within the services, we introduced additional checks including mental health assessments and drug tests. Interestingly, over 4,000 people failed the drug test, and we have over 2,000 who also failed due to mental health conditions,” he said.
The Minister noted that the findings highlight the importance of strengthening screening processes to ensure that only fit and suitable candidates are enlisted into the security services.
