In what sounds like a scene from a thriller movie, Nigeria’s top anti-narcotics agency, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), has raised a red flag over a troubling new trend—drug traffickers are now hiding illegal substances inside everyday items like children’s books and even property documents.
This chilling revelation came in a public warning issued by NDLEA spokesperson Femi Babafemi on Sunday, July 6. According to him, Drug Trafficking Organizations (DTOs) are now so desperate that they’re stuffing narcotics into items we’d normally never suspect.
“These criminals are now using virtually everything in sight, no matter how tiny or innocent-looking, to traffic drugs,” Babafemi stated.
This warning isn’t hypothetical. NDLEA operatives across the country have made recent seizures where drugs were ingeniously concealed in kids’ storybooks, stacks of land title documents, and other unsuspecting items that pass through airports and checkpoints daily.
While the NDLEA has remained relentless in its crackdown on trafficking syndicates—recording multiple arrests and successful busts—the creativity of these criminal networks is forcing the agency to adapt and innovate faster than ever before.
This growing sophistication in concealment methods raises serious concerns—not just for national security, but also for parents, educators, transporters, and even legal professionals who may unknowingly come in contact with such booby-trapped items.
Babafemi’s message was clear: the public must remain vigilant.
“We’re calling on all Nigerians to stay alert. If you see something suspicious, no matter how harmless it looks, report it. This is a collective fight,” he urged.
As Nigeria’s fight against drug trafficking intensifies, this reminder serves as both a wake-up call and a sobering look at how far syndicates are willing to go. In a world where a child’s bedtime book could be a drug mule, no item can be taken at face value anymore.
The NDLEA is urging Nigerians to partner with them in this fight, emphasizing that no tipoff is too small—and that community vigilance might just be the edge needed to outsmart the networks putting lives at risk.
