Video: Drugs in energy drink nearly land driver in jail, NDLEA warns of collecting unknown package

Abdullateef Fowewe

A commercial bus driver in Nigeria nearly faced imprisonment after unknowingly transporting illicit substances concealed inside a bottle of Fearless energy drink.

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This was made known in a statement shared on Sunday by National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) spokesman Femi Babafemi.

The driver accepted the bottle as a waybill package in Lagos for delivery to Ondo State, assuming it contained an ordinary energy drink.

Officers of the NDLEA later discovered it held Colos (a form of synthetic cannabis) and methamphetamine instead.

“When they say don’t judge a book by its cover, it’s for a reason,” Babafemi had written.

He explained that the driver spent time in custody and “would have ended in jail” but was fortunate because operatives tracked and arrested the person who handed over the package.

“Your own case may be devoid of such luck and you go in for it,” he added.

Babafemi urged caution, “As drivers or whoever, please avoid taking parcels you don’t know its content because possession makes you culpable, that’s the law and you go explain tire!”

Photos and video accompanying the remarks show the opened Fearless bottle, bags of green plant material and white crystalline substance, and a handheld scanner confirming methamphetamine.

The scan result is dated around late September 2026.

The NDLEA, Nigeria’s primary anti-narcotics agency, regularly reports seizures of drugs hidden in everyday items such as music speakers, bread, luggage and commercial consignments. Colos (also called Colorado), a potent synthetic cannabis strain, and methamphetamine feature frequently in these operations.

Traffickers often exploit motor parks and inter-state transport routes between cities like Lagos and destinations in the Southwest, including Ondo State.

Under Nigerian law, mere possession of controlled substances can attract criminal liability, regardless of whether the carrier claims ignorance of the contents.

The agency has repeatedly highlighted the risks to transporters, couriers and ordinary citizens who accept packages without verification.