Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, have intercepted a 20,000-litre fuel tanker fitted with a concealed compartment used to traffic illicit drugs.
This was disclosed in a statement issued on Sunday by the agency’s spokesperson, Femi Babafemi.
Babafemi described the seizure as one of the week’s most brazen operations. He said the tanker, with registration number MKA 960 XC, and which was “notorious for evading arrest in the past,” was chased down by NDLEA officers along the Akoko/Lokoja expressway in Ondo State on Friday, September 4, 2026, after the driver refused to stop.
“The driver later abandoned the vehicle at a church premises in Ugbe Akoko and fled into the bush,” he said.
A search of the tanker revealed a false compartment concealing 165 bags of cannabis weighing 2,145kg. The cannabis was hidden alongside the tanker’s legitimate fuel cargo, which was reportedly destined for Jos, Plateau State.
The Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, retired Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa, commended the officers for their professionalism and vigilance during the operation.
Marwa urged personnel across the country to sustain the momentum, adding that traffickers who attempt to hide drugs behind legitimate business fronts “will continue to be tracked down.”
