The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency has warned parents to closely monitor the snacks and confectioneries consumed by their children following the seizure of cannabis-infused cookies and gummies smuggled into Nigeria.
The NDLEA Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, issued the warning in a statement on Sunday, saying recent seizures by the agency had uncovered attempts by criminal elements to disguise illicit drugs as ordinary snacks.
Babafemi urged parents to pay closer attention if their children 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,” he said while saring images of the seized products.
The seized items included colourful packs labelled “Cookies Delta 8 Gummies”, with flavours such as Hawaiian Rain Pineapple Guava and Thai Mango.
The products were also labelled as vegan and hemp-derived.
The warning followed a major interception by the Nigeria Customs Service at the Tin Can Island Port in Lagos.
Customs officers reportedly seized two 40-foot containers containing large quantities of cannabis-infused products concealed among legitimate imports, including used vehicles, generators, batteries and fabrics.
The consignment contained thousands of Delta-8 cannabis pre-roll cookies, packs of cannabis-infused gummies and other cannabis-infused cookies, with an estimated street value of about ₦373.8 million.
The seized products were subsequently handed over to the NDLEA for further investigation and action.
According to the anti-narcotics agency, the products originated from the United States and were packaged to look like ordinary vegan snacks with attractive colours and flavours.
The agency described the development as an emerging public health concern, particularly because the appealing packaging could attract children, students and other young people, increasing the risk of accidental consumption of cannabis-laced products.
