The Nigerian Postal Service (NIPOST) alleged on Friday that some courier operators now hide under the guise of ferrying goods to smuggle weapons and illicit drugs into the country.
While raising the alarm, the service disclosed that the activities of illegal courier companies now pose a threat to national security and the economy.
According to the General Manager of NIPOST’s Courier and Logistics Regulations Department in Ondo State, Oludotun Sounde, during a stakeholder engagement held in Akure, the proliferation and infiltration of illegal courier operators and logistics companies across the major cities of the nation call for concern.
Sounde revealed that the agency sealed off two illegal courier companies in the State and also confiscated motorcycles used by three others during raids.
The general manager observed that the unlicensed courier services and companies are not only lacking the structure for safe delivery but also operating without any form of accountability.
He said: “They’re putting customers at risk of loss, theft, or abuse of their parcels. Using an illegal courier service is like going to a quack doctor. It could also cost you dearly.
“One of the unlicensed operators was recently arrested for conveying firearms and hard drugs.”
Describing the development as a “national red flag” that should not be ignored, he said every parcel handed over to an unlicensed courier could be a potential threat to national peace.
To address the challenges, Sounde posited that every courier operator in the country must obtain operational licenses from the Postmaster General to guide and streamline the operation of the logistics companies.
While reaffirming NIPOST’s commitment to sanitising the logistics sector, he noted that the agency is prepared to support registered businesses with training and professional guidance.
He described the agency as a critical national infrastructure linking communities and facilitating secure communication, urging both existing and aspiring operators to register officially via NIPOST’s website or at any nearby post office.
Sounde, however, appealed to the public to be wary of cheap, untraceable services, stressing that a properly regulated delivery system is key to safeguarding the nation’s security and fostering economic progress.
