The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd.) has distanced itself from a truck bearing its old markings after the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) intercepted the vehicle with 2,145 kilogrammes of cannabis in Ondo State.
The tanker, with registration number MKA 960 XC, was reportedly intercepted by NDLEA operatives along the Akoko-Lokoja Expressway after the driver allegedly failed to stop. The driver later abandoned the vehicle at a church premises in Ugbe Akoko and fled.
According to the NDLEA, a search of the 20,000-litre tanker uncovered 165 bags of cannabis weighing 2,145kg, concealed in a compartment within the vehicle alongside legitimate fuel cargo reportedly destined for Jos, Plateau State.
Reacting to the incident, NNPC Ltd., through its Chief Corporate Communications Officer, Andy Odeh, said preliminary checks showed that the vehicle was neither owned by the company nor part of its official fleet or that of any of its authorised dealers.
The company also said the logo displayed on the tanker was inconsistent with its current official branding and that the vehicle did not appear in its asset database.
NNPC Ltd. said it was 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 stressed that it takes the unauthorised use of its corporate identity seriously, particularly where such use may be connected to illegal activities.
NNPC Ltd. further pledged to cooperate fully with the NDLEA and other relevant security agencies as investigations continue to establish the ownership and operation of the tanker and how the NNPC markings came to be used.
The company also commended the NDLEA for its vigilance and professionalism in intercepting the vehicle and recovering the illicit consignment.
The development comes as the NDLEA continues its nationwide efforts to disrupt the trafficking and distribution of illicit drugs.
