The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency has called on parents to be more watchful of the snacks their children request or consume after cannabis-infused cookies and gummies were intercepted at a Lagos port.
The agency said drug traffickers were increasingly finding ways to conceal prohibited substances in products that look like regular food items.
NDLEA spokesperson, Femi Babafemi, disclosed this in a statement on Sunday while drawing attention to photographs of some of the seized products.
“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 wrote.
The products displayed in the photographs included colourful packs labelled “Cookies Delta 8 Gummies.” Some carried flavours such as Hawaiian Rain Pineapple Guava and Thai Mango, while their packaging described them as vegan and hemp-derived.
The development followed the interception of two 40-foot containers by the Nigeria Customs Service at the Tin Can Island Port in Lagos.
Customs personnel reportedly found the drug-containing products hidden among legitimate cargo, including second-hand vehicles, generators, batteries and textile materials.
The seized consignment comprised thousands of Delta-8 cannabis pre-roll cookies, cannabis-infused gummies and other cookies containing cannabis. Authorities estimated the street value of the items at approximately ₦373.8m.
The seized products were later transferred to the NDLEA.
The agency described the incident as a growing concern, particularly because the products were imported from the United States and designed to resemble ordinary snacks.
Officials said the colourful appearance, sweet flavours and attractive packaging could make the products appealing to children and young people who might consume them without knowing that they contain cannabis.
The NDLEA therefore urged parents to exercise greater caution and pay attention to unusual snack products their children may be interested in, especially those with unfamiliar labels or packaging.