The Nigerian Postal Service (NIPOST) has raised serious concerns over the rising involvement of some courier operators in smuggling firearms and hard drugs across the country.

Speaking at a stakeholder engagement in Akure, Ondo State, the General Manager of NIPOST’s Courier and Logistics Regulations Department in Ondo, Oludotun Sounde, revealed alarming findings. According to him, the agency recently sealed two illegal courier companies and seized motorcycles belonging to three others in separate raids across Ondo State.

Sounde pointed out that illegal courier businesses are mushrooming in major cities, with many setting up operations from car parks or private offices. They lure unsuspecting Nigerians by offering very cheap delivery rates — but at a heavy cost to national security.

“These unlicensed courier operators don’t have the structure or accountability to guarantee the safety of your parcels,” Sounde warned. “It’s like going to a quack doctor — it can cost you more than you imagine.”

He disclosed that in one shocking case, an unregistered operator was arrested while transporting firearms and illegal drugs. This, he said, is a clear danger to public peace and a “national red flag that cannot be ignored.”

Sounde stressed that NIPOST is determined to clamp down on these illegal operators, explaining that all courier and logistics companies in Nigeria must obtain a licence from the Postmaster-General to ensure their operations are monitored and properly regulated.

He urged Nigerians to avoid patronising cheap, unregistered courier services, cautioning that while low prices may seem attractive, they come with significant risks — including theft, loss, or even becoming unknowingly involved in criminal activities.

“A regulated delivery system is essential, not just for protecting individual customers, but for safeguarding the entire country’s security and economic growth,” he concluded.