Dispatch riders are now an essential component of urban life in Lagos, a busy metropolis. These riders maneuver through clogged roadways with incredible dexterity, delivering documents, packages, and food orders to homes and offices as the city’s infamous gridlocks impede progress and annoy everyday motorists. In a fast-paced economy where time is money, their services have become the lifeblood of convenience.
The contribution of dispatch riders to Nigeria’s economy is indisputable, ranging from inter-office dispatch services to e-commerce deliveries. Nigeria’s logistics and courier subsector expanded by more than 35 percent between 2020 and 2023, according to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), thanks to the growth of the gig economy and an increase in online purchasing. Dispatch riding serves as both a source of income and a way out of unemployment for many young Nigerians.
But this essential service is in danger of being tarnished by a sinister undercurrent. A troubling tendency has been discovered by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA): dispatch riders are being exploited as unwary or cooperative couriers in drug trafficking operations.
Riders as Drug Couriers: An Increasing Concern
In the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), NDLEA agents conducted intelligence-driven stop-and-search operations in Gwarimpa, Jahi, and Galadimawa on July 30, 2025. Three dispatch riders, Sabo Sule (age 24), Samuel Nnamdi (age 28), and Idris Jibrin (age 28), were arrested by the agency for distributing 149.8 grams of the powerful cannabis strain “Canadian Loud.” Two days later, two more suspects carrying 91.1 kg of “skunk” cannabis were apprehended along the Abaji–Gwagwalada Expressway.
Outside of the Federal Capital Territory, the NDLEA in Lagos revealed that Joseph Michael, a dispatch rider, was detained in Mushin with 3.3 kg of the synthetic cannabis strain “Colorado,” while Ibrahim Sulaiman, another suspect, was caught in Iwaya-Yaba with 16.5 liters of “skuchies,” a cannabis-based beverage.
According to the CIA, some of these riders either intentionally engage in drug trafficking or are tricked by criminal clients who hide illegal goods inside delivery-ready packages.
The situation is “an emerging trend that calls for strict regulation and collaboration between transport authorities, courier companies, and law enforcement,” according to NDLEA Chairman Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa (rtd.).
Why Is There a Risk?
Dispatch riders are especially susceptible to infiltration by drug traffickers and other criminal networks due to a number of elements coming together.
First, the characteristics that make their services effective Additionally, providers make them appealing instruments for traffickers. They can park near to destinations, deliver products quickly without attracting too much notice, and maneuver through crowded metropolitan roadways thanks to their mobility, agility, and low profile. Such ease of mobility provides cover that traffickers can readily use to hide illegal activity in urban areas like Lagos, where speed is valued.
Second, the nation’s regulatory loopholes have made it easier for misuse to occur. Dispatch riders operate with little control in many jurisdictions, which makes it simple for criminal actors to pose as professional couriers. For example, due to ongoing regulatory non-compliance, the Directorate of Road Traffic Services (DRTS) in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) was forced to halt the registration of new dispatch riders in February 2024. Many of the 2,500 riders who had already been cleared by the directorate were discovered to be rowdy or untraceable. This highlights the industry’s wider regulatory flaws.
The informality of the business model is another significant weakness. Small-scale businesses and independent contractors operating on cash-based contracts with minimal paperwork dominate Nigeria’s delivery industry. Law enforcement agencies find it challenging to track suspicious deliveries or follow financial trails connected to drug movements given the lack of established contracts, traceable payment mechanisms, and confirmed customer names. Because the activity is cash-driven and informal, traffickers can easily blend in with the established courier network.
The risk is further increased by inadequate monitoring during nighttime activities. Since oversight is at its lowest, many riders labor late into the night or at morning. The State Ministry of Transportation in Lagos very recently, in September 2025, required all riders to wear visibility tapes and reflective jackets during nighttime operations. This action unintentionally brought attention to the extent of prior regulatory neglect. These nocturnal deliveries frequently give traffickers a convenient opening to move illegal substances under the pretense of legitimate business if they are not properly supervised.
Oversight and Regulatory Web Gaps
The Lagos State Ministry of Transport is in charge of traffic control and motorcycle operational safety, but it has no authority to examine or confirm the goods courier riders are carrying.
The restrictions were acknowledged in a conversation with the Ministry’s Director of Transport Operations, Engineer Olasunkanmi Ojowuro.
He clarified, “The Lagos Ministry of Transport is in charge of managing the movement of goods and services, such as motorcycles used for courier logistics.” But our job is to make sure the motorcycle is in good condition, that it is safe to ride, and that the user follows all safety precautions. We lack the structural authority to verify what they are transporting.
Ojowuro admitted that the ministry is aware of NDLEA information regarding dispatch riders engaged in drug trafficking.
He stated, “We are working with other agencies, including the Ministry of Health and the police.” “A courier or logistics rider’s package may be inspected by the police. We are powerless to stop that.
His remarks draw attention to a crucial regulatory void. While organizations like NIPOST’s Courier and Logistics Regulatory Department (CLRD) are in charge of regulating courier businesses, the ministry concentrates on vehicle safety and operational compliance. However, the emergence of unofficial, unregistered operators—many of whom operate independently without corporate affiliation—has created a vulnerability that criminal networks have taken advantage of.
Ojowuro said, “There are so many entities operating now that are illegal, not recognized by the state.” “You are operating unlicensed, and the law will catch up with you if we don’t catch you on our proposed regulatory app.”
Technology and the Pursuit of Order
The Lagos State Ministry of Transportation is creating a computerized application to monitor and control courier activities in an effort to bring sanity to the industry. The goal of the program, which is now in the consultative stage, is to combine customers, operators, and government into a unified monitoring system.
Ojowuro disclosed, “That app will have an interface with the operator, the customer, and the government.” The app is three-way. This allows us to track the activities of illicit operators and identify them. Stakeholder engagement is now underway, and the project will use a public-private partnership (PPP) format.
Safety regulations are also being enforced by the ministry. All dispatch riders were required to wear reflective jackets in September for safety and visibility, particularly at night. He stated, “Some have complied, some are yet to comply.” However, compliance will increase if enforcement begins. It’s for security reasons.
Criminal Components in a Crucial Sector
Not all dispatch riders are involved in illegal commerce, Ojowuro quickly clarified. He said, “There are criminal elements everywhere in the world and in all sectors.” It might even be the user rather than the operator. Someone may wish to transport drugs and refuse to disclose the contents of the package to the operator. A lot of riders have no idea what they are providing.
He proposed that lobbying could lessen the possibility that riders would unintentionally carry illegal goods. Occasionally, they ask to see what’s inside the package before wrapping it. However, this isn’t typical, particularly for informal entrepreneurs without offices, he clarified. Because there are so many stakeholders in that industry, we must organize it as a whole. It’s putting food on people’s tables and creating jobs.
In fact, according to data from the Courier and Logistics Management Institute (CLMI), over 85,000 registered courier riders operate throughout Nigeria, with over 40% of them based in Lagos alone. However, informal riders—who are thought to be more than twice as numerous—operate outside of the legal system, endangering both security and safety.
Drug traffickers are increasingly taking advantage of the informal dispatch system because of its quickness and anonymity, according to an NDLEA official who spoke on condition of anonymity. While some riders are fully ignorant of their involvement in illegal conduct, others are paid enormous sums to turn a blind eye.
Security experts caution that dispatch logistics could become a new front for organized crime in the absence of more regulation and cooperation among pertinent agencies.
Implications for Safety and Urban Transportation
The consequences of dispatch riders infiltrating drug-trafficking networks extend well beyond the realm of criminal justice. It affects public trust in one of Nigeria’s fastest-growing microeconomies as well as urban logistics.
When motorcyclists are linked to the delivery of drugs, there is an instantaneous knock-on effect: people start to suspect every motorbike courier. The delivery economy, which has grown essential to urban living, especially in cities like Lagos, Abuja, and Port Harcourt, is undermined by this erosion of confidence.
More concerning, there are serious security and safety issues associated with the clan-destine use of motorcycles for the transportation of illegal narcotics. In addition to encouraging crime, the flow of drugs via congested streets raises the possibility of theft, violence, and hazardous road pursuits by law enforcement. Many dispatch riders are at increased risk of accidents, which frequently result in fatalities, because they already have to deal with congested traffic.
