NNPC DENIES OWNERSHIP OF TRUCK USED TO MOVE 2.1 TONNES OF CANNABIS

The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited has distanced itself from a fuel truck intercepted in Ondo State by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency after 2,145 kilogrammes of cannabis were allegedly discovered concealed in a compartment of the vehicle. The truck, with registration number MKA 960 XC, carried markings associated with NNPC, prompting the company to clarify that it was neither part of its fleet nor operated by any of its authorised dealers.

NNPC said preliminary checks showed that the vehicle was not listed in its asset database and that the logo displayed on the truck was inconsistent with the company’s current official branding. The clarification followed reports of the NDLEA interception, which raised questions over whether the vehicle was genuinely connected to the national oil company. NNPC’s Chief Corporate Communications Officer, Andy Odeh, said the company had taken note of the reports and was working to establish how its old corporate identity came to be displayed on the truck.

The NDLEA had intercepted the tanker after suspecting that it was being used to transport illicit drugs alongside its legitimate fuel cargo. According to reports, operatives discovered 165 bags of cannabis weighing about 2.145 tonnes hidden inside a concealed compartment of the tanker. The vehicle was reportedly being used to transport fuel towards Jos, Plateau State, while the suspected illicit consignment was concealed within the truck.

NNPC said it was engaging the Nigerian Association of Road Transport Owners to obtain more information about the vehicle and determine how the old branding was being used. The company stressed that unauthorised use of its corporate identity was a serious matter, particularly where such branding could be associated with criminal activity. It also commended the NDLEA for intercepting the vehicle and said it would cooperate with the agency and other relevant authorities as investigations continue.

The national oil company further said it was reviewing its brand-protection and asset-monitoring measures and would take appropriate legal action where necessary against anyone found to have unlawfully used its identity. NNPC urged members of the public and relevant authorities to verify claims of affiliation before assuming that vehicles carrying its markings are officially connected to the company. Meanwhile, the investigation is expected to establish the true ownership and operators of the truck, as well as how it came to be used in the attempted transportation of the large cannabis consignment.