Logistics industry under siege as drug traffickers hijack courier operations

By Fruzzy Wuzzy

Former presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Mr. Peter Obi, has expressed concerns over reports that drug traffickers are increasingly exploiting Nigeria’s courier and delivery service sector to distribute narcotics nationwide.

In a statement titled “Raising Drug Concern in Our Society,” Obi described the development as a troubling reflection of Nigeria’s deepening institutional and moral decay. He said it was disturbing that criminal networks now use legitimate logistics firms to transport illicit drugs across the country, exposing serious gaps in regulation and enforcement.

According to him, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has repeatedly sounded the alarm on this growing menace, yet the trend persists due to weak oversight, corruption, and ineffective regulatory systems. He added that such lapses have rendered the agency’s efforts almost futile, allowing traffickers to operate with impunity.

Obi noted that the rise in drug trafficking poses a grave threat to Nigeria’s social fabric, warning that beyond its impact on families and young people, it fuels crime and undermines national values.

He called for stronger institutional reforms, enhanced monitoring of courier operations, and greater inter-agency collaboration to stem the tide of illicit drug distribution in the country.

Reacting to the development, former deputy President of the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport, CILT, Dr. Alban lgwe said that the absence of logistics policy has given rise to courier services for the distribution of drugs by traffickers.

Igwe also said that criminals were now exploiting the vulnerability of the current state of the courier sub-sector to perpetuate their evil intentions, a development that has been hijacked by despatate people looking for quick money.

He said:”When we talk about supply chain security, it is a critical issue in security. The supply chain is entirely vulnerable and those who hijack it look for the most vulnerable aspect of it to cash in on it.

“You know in this country, we have no logistics policy, we have no supply chain policy,we don’t even have a transport policy. If you have a policy, you know how to run the industry, what laws to apply to what infraction, policy gives us the guidelines and where there is no policy, anything goes.

“Before now, Okada was a major means of conveyance used by armed robbers to commit crimes.”