By Abiodun Folarin
WorldStage– The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd.) has disowned a petrol tanker intercepted by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) in Ondo State with 2,145kg of cannabis concealed in a compartment of the vehicle.
The company said the tanker, with registration number MKA 960 XC, is neither owned by NNPC Ltd. nor part of its official fleet or that of any of its authorised dealers.
NNPC Ltd., in a statement issued on Monday by its Chief Corporate Communications Officer, Andy Odeh, said preliminary checks conducted following media reports on the incident showed no record of the vehicle in the company’s asset database.
The company also noted that although the tanker bears markings associated with NNPC, the logo displayed on the vehicle does not conform to the company’s current official branding.
According to NNPC, it is engaging the Nigerian Association of Road Transport Owners (NARTO) to obtain further information and establish how its old branding came to be displayed on the vehicle.
The company said it takes the unauthorised use of its corporate identity seriously, particularly when such identity is linked to alleged criminal activities.
“NNPC Ltd. takes any unauthorised use of its corporate identity seriously, particularly where such use may be associated with unlawful activity,” the company stated.
It added that it would cooperate fully with the NDLEA and other relevant security agencies in investigating the incident, including determining the ownership and operation of the tanker and the circumstances surrounding the use of NNPC markings.
The national oil company further disclosed that it was reviewing its brand-protection and asset-monitoring protocols, with legal action to be considered where necessary against persons responsible for any unauthorised use of its corporate identity.
NNPC also urged members of the public and relevant authorities to verify the ownership or affiliation of vehicles claiming association with the company through official channels.
The company commended the NDLEA for its vigilance and professionalism in intercepting the tanker and reiterated its support for the agency’s efforts to combat illicit drug trafficking in Nigeria.
Meanwhile, NDLEA Director of Media and Publicity, Femi Babafemi, in a statement on Sunday, said the driver reportedly abandoned the tanker at a church premises in Ugbe Akoko and fled into the bush, prompting operatives to conduct a search of the vehicle.
According to him, the search uncovered a false compartment concealed within the tanker, where 165 bags of cannabis, weighing a total of 2,145kg, were hidden alongside the legitimate fuel cargo reportedly destined for Jos, Plateau State.
The NDLEA said the tanker had become notorious for evading arrest in previous operations, making its interception a significant breakthrough in the agency’s intelligence led efforts to disrupt drug trafficking networks.
