The Nigerian Postal Service (NIPOST) has raised serious concerns over the rising use of unlicensed courier operators to transport dangerous weapons and illicit drugs across the country.

The agency also decried the growing infiltration of illegal logistics and courier companies in major cities, warning that their unchecked operations pose significant threats to national security and the economy.

Speaking at a stakeholders’ engagement in Akure, Ondo State, on Friday, the General Manager of NIPOST’s Courier and Logistics Regulations Department, Oludotun Sounde, disclosed that two illegal courier firms were recently sealed in the state, while motorcycles belonging to three others were confiscated during enforcement raids.

Sounde explained that many of these illegal operators run their services out of motor parks and unregistered private offices, luring customers with unusually cheap delivery prices.

“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.

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.

“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,” he said

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 licences from the Postmaster General to guide and streamline the operation of the logistics companies.

While reaffirming the 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. (The Nation)