The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency has warned Nigerians, especially parents, about cannabis-infused cookies and gummies allegedly being brought into the country and sold as ordinary snacks.
The agency urged parents and guardians to monitor what their children consume, particularly imported sweets, cookies and other packaged food products that may contain illegal substances.
The warning followed the interception of thousands of cannabis-infused cookies and gummies concealed in containers imported from the United States.
The NDLEA Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, disclosed this in a statement issued on Sunday.
According to him, the development was uncovered following a major interception by the Nigeria Customs Service at the Tin Can Island Port in Lagos.
Babafemi said Customs officers seized two 40-foot containers that originated from the United States.
The containers, he said, contained legitimate imports, including vehicles, generators and fabrics, but officers also discovered thousands of cookies and gummies infused with cannabis.
The seized products were estimated to have a street value of N373.8 million.
Babafemi said the items had been handed over to the NDLEA for further investigation.
The agency expressed concern over the way the products were packaged, saying they were made to look like ordinary vegan snacks and could easily attract children and young people.
The colourful packaging, according to the NDLEA, increases the risk of accidental consumption, especially in homes where parents and guardians may not know that the products contain cannabis.
The agency therefore urged parents to pay closer attention to imported snacks brought into their homes and consumed by children.
The warning is particularly important because edible cannabis products can be difficult to identify by people who are not familiar with them.
Unlike cannabis in its usual plant form, products such as cookies and gummies can look similar to ordinary food items. This can make it easier for children or unsuspecting consumers to take them without knowing that they contain a prohibited substance.
The NDLEA has continued to raise concerns over new methods used by drug traffickers to move illegal substances into Nigeria.
The use of food products and other everyday items to conceal drugs has become one of the challenges faced by law enforcement agencies at the nation’s borders, airports and seaports.
The latest seizure at Tin Can Island Port also highlights the role of Customs officers in detecting prohibited items concealed within legitimate cargo.
The Nigeria Customs Service and the NDLEA are among the agencies responsible for preventing illegal drugs and other prohibited goods from entering the country.
Tin Can Island Port is one of Nigeria’s major seaports and handles large volumes of imported goods. Its location in Lagos makes it an important entry point for products coming into the country.
The discovery of the cannabis-infused snacks in containers carrying legitimate goods shows the difficulty involved in checking large volumes of cargo entering the country.
Drug traffickers often hide prohibited substances among legal goods in an attempt to avoid detection.
The NDLEA has in recent years reported several cases involving the concealment of drugs in food items, luggage, parcels and other everyday products.
The agency has also intensified public awareness campaigns aimed at warning young people about the dangers of drug abuse and the methods used by traffickers to distribute illegal substances.
Cannabis remains one of the drugs commonly abused in Nigeria, particularly among young people.
While cannabis is sometimes presented by users as harmless, health authorities and law enforcement agencies have repeatedly warned about the risks associated with drug abuse, including its possible effects on mental health, behaviour and overall well-being.
The growing popularity of edible products containing cannabis in some parts of the world has also created new concerns for countries such as Nigeria, where cannabis remains illegal outside approved legal and medical frameworks.
The NDLEA’s latest warning is therefore not only about the seized shipment but also about the possibility that similar products may already be in circulation.
Parents have been advised to examine the labels and packaging of unfamiliar imported snacks before allowing children to consume them.
Consumers should also be cautious about products whose ingredients are unclear or whose packaging appears unusual.
The agency’s concern is that children may consume such products without understanding their contents, particularly when they are presented in the form of sweets, cookies or colourful gummies.
Accidental consumption could also occur when such products are kept alongside ordinary snacks in homes, shops or other places accessible to children.
The seizure has prompted renewed attention to the need for closer monitoring of imported food products and stronger cooperation between agencies responsible for border control and drug enforcement.
The NDLEA said the seized products would be subjected to further investigation as part of efforts to determine their source, intended destination and those behind their attempted importation.
The agency did not disclose details of any arrests in connection with the seizure in the statement.
The development comes as the Federal Government continues efforts to curb drug trafficking and abuse across the country.
The NDLEA has stepped up operations at airports, seaports, land borders and within communities as part of its campaign against the trafficking and abuse of illicit drugs.
The agency has also repeatedly urged parents, schools, religious organisations and community leaders to take an active role in preventing drug abuse among young people.
The latest warning reinforces the need for parents to be more careful about the snacks and other products consumed by children.
For consumers, the message from the NDLEA is that drugs may no longer always come in forms that are easy to recognise.
By disguising cannabis as ordinary cookies and gummies, traffickers can make dangerous substances appear attractive and harmless.
The agency’s seizure at Tin Can Island Port therefore serves as both a law enforcement success and a warning to the public to be more careful about unfamiliar imported food products.