Nigeria’s drug enforcement agency has put the public on notice that accepting international courier packages without full knowledge of their contents can result in criminal prosecution, warning that drug traffickers are systematically using family members and friends as unknowing receivers.
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) issued the caution on Sunday, April 10, through its Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, citing a documented pattern in which criminal networks based overseas dispatch drug-concealed consignments through courier services and designate unsuspecting relatives or acquaintances in Nigeria as the official recipients.
Babafemi stressed that anyone listed as the official receiver of a parcel automatically assumes full responsibility for its contents, whether or not they were aware of what was inside. The agency made clear that such individuals could face charges of possession and conspiracy, with imprisonment as the outcome.
The warning was accompanied by a fresh seizure that illustrated exactly the risk the agency was describing. NDLEA operatives uncovered illicit drugs concealed inside imported snacks, reinforcing the agency’s concern that food items are increasingly being used as cover for narcotics shipments entering the country through courier channels.
Babafemi advised Nigerians who cannot avoid receiving packages on behalf of others to insist on verification before accepting any delivery, including requesting a live recorded video call at the point of packaging. Where that is not possible, the agency said the parcel should be refused outright, regardless of any incentive offered. The NDLEA added that it is tightening surveillance across entry points and working with logistics companies to identify suspicious shipments earlier in the delivery chain.
The NDLEA framed the warning as part of a broader public protection effort, urging Nigerians to share the message widely. The agency has recorded significant enforcement activity in 2026, including 974 drug convictions in the first quarter of the year alone.
