More than 6,000 candidates were dropped at the medical stage of the ongoing security services enlistment after screenings flagged drug use and mental health concerns, the Ministry of the Interior has said.
Speaking on Pan African TV on Saturday, May 23, the Interior Minister, Mohammed Muntaka Mubarak, revealed over 100,000 applicants went through medical checks as part of the recruitment.
He said the process went beyond standard physical and lab exams to add drug screening and mental health reviews, amid rising worries about personnel welfare in the services.
He explained that over 4,000 aspirants tested positive for drugs, while roughly 2,000 others were disqualified over mental health issues.
“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 stressed that the results show why tougher vetting is vital to ensure only qualified, suitable recruits join the security services.
