The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited has denied ownership of a fuel tanker intercepted by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency in Ondo State with 2,145 kilogrammes of cannabis concealed inside the vehicle .
The NDLEA had intercepted a 20,000-litre fuel tanker along the Akoko-Lokoja Expressway on September 4, 2026, after the driver reportedly refused to stop for inspection . The driver later abandoned the vehicle at a church premises in Ugbe Akoko and escaped into a nearby bush .
Upon searching the tanker, NDLEA operatives discovered a specially constructed false compartment containing 165 bags of cannabis, weighing 2,145kg, concealed alongside its legitimate fuel cargo which was reportedly destined for Jos, Plateau State .
Reacting to the development, NNPC Ltd spokesperson Andy Odeh said in a statement on Monday that preliminary checks showed the vehicle, with registration number MKA 960 XC, was neither owned by the company nor part of its official fleet or that of any authorised dealers . He noted that the logo displayed on the vehicle was inconsistent with NNPC Ltd’s current official branding and that the truck did not appear in the company’s asset database .
Odeh said NNPC Ltd was engaging with the Nigerian Association of Road Transport Owners to obtain further information and establish the circumstances surrounding the use of the company’s old branding on the vehicle .
“NNPC Ltd. takes any unauthorised use of its corporate identity seriously, particularly where such use may be associated with unlawful activity,” the statement read .
The company said it would cooperate fully with the NDLEA and other relevant security agencies to establish the ownership and operation of the vehicle . It also disclosed that it was reviewing its brand-protection and asset-monitoring protocols and would take appropriate measures, including legal action where warranted, against any unauthorised use of its corporate identity .
