The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd) has commended the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) for intercepting a fuel tanker allegedly used to conceal a large consignment of cannabis in Ondo State.

The tanker, marked MKA 960 XC, was intercepted along the Akoko/Lokoja Expressway on Friday, September 4, following an operation by NDLEA operatives.

According to the agency, the 20,000-litre tanker had a concealed compartment containing 165 bags of cannabis weighing 2,145 kilogrammes, hidden alongside legitimate petroleum products reportedly being transported to Jos, Plateau State.

The driver allegedly refused to stop when flagged down by NDLEA officers before abandoning the tanker at a church premises in Ugbe Akoko and fleeing into the bush.

A subsequent search of the vehicle led to the discovery of the specially constructed compartment and the illicit consignment.

The interception was part of a wider intelligence-led operation conducted by the NDLEA across several states, including Lagos, Adamawa, Ondo, Kaduna, Bauchi, Ekiti, Kogi, Taraba and Enugu.

The nationwide operations also resulted in the recovery of significant quantities of other controlled substances. In Lagos, NDLEA operatives reportedly seized 966,200 tablets of Tramadol 225mg, valued at more than ₦1.1 billion, from a consignment imported from Pakistan.

In Kaduna, officers intercepted a truck carrying bags of cement along the Zaria-Kano Expressway and recovered 1,179kg of cannabis, while more than 109kg of assorted controlled substances were recovered in Taraba State.

Reacting to the interception, NNPC Ltd commended the NDLEA for its vigilance and operational effectiveness, particularly in identifying attempts to exploit legitimate petroleum logistics for the movement of illicit substances.

The development has also renewed attention to the growing sophistication of drug trafficking networks, which increasingly employ legitimate commercial vehicles and concealed compartments to evade law enforcement.

NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd.), praised the officers involved in the operations and called for sustained efforts to dismantle trafficking networks across the country.

The agency said the latest seizures demonstrate its continued commitment to intelligence-led operations aimed at disrupting the supply chains through which illicit drugs are transported and distributed across Nigeria.

The driver of the intercepted tanker was still at large as of the latest report, while investigations into the shipment and those behind the operation are ongoing.