13 die in Nigerian recruitment drive.

16 Jul, 2008

A nationwide recruitment drive for the Nigerian Immigration Service has left at least 13 people dead and many more injured across the country, local news sources report. Some job seekers were killed in stampedes as they tried to enter the recruitment centres while others died during gruelling fitness tests in the heat and rain.

Civil service jobs are much sought after in Nigeria especially among young college and university graduates for their regular salaries and security. The recent immigration service recruitment drive attracted over 130,000 applications for just 1,260 jobs. Many of the applicants had reportedly been unemployed for many years.