By Opeyemi Adelakun
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, has warned parents to closely monitor the snacks consumed by their children after authorities intercepted a large consignment of cannabis-infused cookies and gummies at a Lagos port.
The warning followed the seizure of two 40-foot containers containing large quantities of cannabis-laced food products at the Tin Can Island Port by officers of the Nigeria Customs Service.
The seized consignment, which originated from the United States, was concealed among legitimate imports, including used vehicles, generators, batteries and fabrics. The illicit products were estimated to have a street value of about ₦373.8 million.
The items were subsequently handed over to the NDLEA for further action.
NDLEA Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, issued the warning on Sunday, urging parents to pay closer attention to children who frequently demand cookies and gummies.
“As parents, if your kids and young ones always crave for cookies and gummies, you may have to pay a little more attention. There may be more to it than ordinary cookies and gummies,” Babafemi said.
Images released by the agency showed colourful packages labelled “Cookies Delta 8 Gummies”, with flavours including Hawaiian Rain Pineapple Guava and Thai Mango. The products were also labelled as vegan and hemp-derived.
According to the NDLEA, the packaging of the seized products was designed to resemble ordinary snacks, a development it said could make them particularly appealing to children, students and other young people.
The agency described the products as an emerging public health concern, warning that their appearance as conventional confectionery could increase the possibility of accidental consumption.
Among the items recovered were thousands of Delta-8 cannabis pre-roll cookies, packs of cannabis-infused gummies and other cannabis-containing cookies.
The seizure highlights growing concerns over the methods allegedly being used by criminal networks to move prohibited substances across Nigeria’s borders by disguising them as everyday consumer products.
The NDLEA said parents therefore need to exercise greater caution when purchasing or allowing children to consume unfamiliar cookies, gummies and other packaged snacks, particularly products whose ingredients or origin are unclear.
The development also places renewed attention on the role of border enforcement agencies in preventing drug-laced food products from entering the Nigerian market, especially where the packaging may make the substances difficult to distinguish from ordinary snacks.
Leave a Reply