NNPC Disowns Tanker Seized With 2,145kg Cannabis in Ondo
NNPC Disowns Tanker Seized With 2,145kg Cannabis in Ondo
The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd.) has distanced itself from a fuel tanker intercepted by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) in Ondo State with 2,145 kilogrammes of cannabis concealed in a compartment.
The tanker, with registration number MKA 960 XC, was intercepted along the Akoko–Lokoja Expressway on September 4, 2026. According to the NDLEA, a search of the 20,000-litre tanker uncovered 165 bags of cannabis hidden in a false compartment alongside its legitimate fuel cargo reportedly destined for Jos, Plateau State.
The agency said the driver allegedly refused to stop when flagged down and later abandoned the tanker at a church premises in Ugbe Akoko before fleeing into the bush.
Reacting to reports linking the vehicle to NNPC, the company’s Chief Corporate Communications Officer, Andy Odeh, said preliminary checks showed that the tanker was neither owned by NNPC Ltd. nor part of its official fleet or that of any of its authorised dealers.
NNPC added that the logo displayed on the vehicle does not correspond with its current official branding and that the tanker was not found in its asset database. The company said it is engaging the Nigerian Association of Road Transport Owners to establish how its old branding came to be used on the vehicle.
