The Nigerian Postal Service (NIPOST) has raised concerns over unlicensed courier operators transporting weapons and illicit drugs across the country.
Speaking on Friday at a stakeholders’ engagement in Ondo state, Oludotun Sounde, the general manager of NIPOST’s courier and logistics regulations department, said the unchecked activities of the courier operators in that category pose significant threats to national security and the economy.
According to The Nation, Sounde said many illegal operators lure customers with unusually cheap delivery prices and run their services out of motor parks and unregistered private offices.
Sounde said two illegal courier firms were recently sealed in the state, while motorcycles belonging to three others were confiscated during enforcement raids.
Advertisement
“These unlicensed courier companies lack the infrastructure for safe and secure delivery. Worse still, they operate without any regulatory oversight or accountability, creating a major security loophole,” 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.”
Advertisement
The general manager described the development as a “national red flag” that should not be ignored and said every parcel handed over to an unlicensed courier could potentially threaten national peace.
He said NIPOST has vowed to intensify its clampdown on illegal operators and called on members of the public to verify the legitimacy of courier services before patronising them.
