The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Ltd., NNPCL, has distanced itself from a fuel tanker intercepted with 2,145kg of cannabis in Ondo State, saying the vehicle is neither part of its official fleet nor operated by any of its authorized dealers.
Chief Corporate Communications Officer of NNPCL Andy Odeh said preliminary checks showed that the tanker, with registration number MKA 960 XC, is not listed in the company’s asset database.
The company also said the logo displayed on the vehicle does not match its current official branding, raising concerns over the unauthorized use of its corporate identity in connection with an alleged drug trafficking operation.
“NNPCL is also 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.
“NNPCL takes any unauthorized use of its corporate identity seriously, particularly where such use may be associated with unlawful activity,” Odeh said.
The development follows an interception by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, of a 20,000-litre fuel tanker along the Akoko-Lokoja Expressway in Ondo State.
The tanker was intercepted on Friday after its driver reportedly refused to stop when pursued by NDLEA operatives. The driver later abandoned the vehicle at a church premises in Ugbe Akoko and fled into the bush.
According to the NDLEA, a search of the tanker uncovered a concealed compartment containing 165 bags of cannabis weighing 2,145kg, hidden alongside its legitimate fuel cargo reportedly destined for Jos, Plateau State.
NNPCL has commended the NDLEA for the interception and said it will cooperate with the agency and other relevant security authorities to establish the ownership and operation of the vehicle.
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Odeh said the company supports a thorough investigation into how its old markings came to be displayed on the tanker and would review its brand-protection and asset-monitoring protocols.
He added that the company would take appropriate measures, including legal action where warranted, to protect its name, trademarks and other corporate identifiers from misuse.
NNPCL urged members of the public and relevant authorities to verify the ownership or affiliation of vehicles purporting to belong to the company through its official channels.
The Ondo seizure was among several major drug interceptions reported by the NDLEA during the period. At the Lagos airport, the agency recovered 966,200 tablets of Tramadol 225mg, valued at more than N1.1 billion, from a 21-carton consignment imported from Pakistan. The tablets were reportedly concealed among thrift trousers.
NDLEA operatives also recovered 57.80kg of Loud, a synthetic strain of cannabis estimated to be worth more than N173 million on the street. The substance was concealed in cartons of disposable hand gloves in a shipment from Singapore that had remained unclaimed for weeks.
A joint examination by NDLEA officers, the Nigeria Customs Service and other security agencies led to the discovery.
The agency further reported the interception of 598.08kg of cannabis-laced cookies and gummies, comprising 890 packets, at the Tin Can Island Port in Lagos on Wednesday, September 2.
The consignment was concealed in a 40-foot container and was linked to three suspects previously arrested at the port following the seizure of 842.54kg of cannabis-laced cookies.
Beyond the seizures, the NDLEA said its commands and formations across the country continued its War Against Drug Abuse sensitization campaigns in schools, worship centres, workplaces and communities.
The activities included sensitization for nursing mothers and nurses at Ibereko Primary Health Centre in Abeokuta North, Ogun State, an awareness programme for youths in Umouji/Okwo community in Olokoro, Umuahia South Local Government Area of Abia State, and a drug-abuse awareness programme involving NLNG staff and concessionaires at the Saipem-Daewoo, NLNG terminal in Bonny, Rivers State.
NAN
