The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency has intercepted a 20,000-litre fuel tanker carrying 2,145 kilogrammes of cannabis concealed inside a specially constructed compartment in Ondo State.
The tanker, marked MKA 960 XC, was intercepted along the Akoko-Lokoja Expressway on Friday, September 4, 2026, after its driver allegedly refused to stop when NDLEA operatives flagged down the vehicle.
According to NDLEA Director of Media and Publicity, Femi Babafemi, the driver subsequently abandoned the tanker at a church premises in Ugbe Akoko and escaped into the bush.
A search of the vehicle uncovered a false compartment containing 165 bags of cannabis, weighing a total of 2,145kg, which had been hidden alongside the legitimate fuel cargo.
The fuel cargo was reportedly destined for Jos, Plateau State, suggesting that the tanker was being used to transport the illicit drugs under the cover of a legitimate petroleum delivery.
The NDLEA described the tanker as notorious for evading arrest during previous operations, making its interception a significant breakthrough in the agency’s intelligence-led efforts against drug trafficking networks.
The discovery was one of several major seizures recorded by NDLEA operatives during coordinated operations across nine states.
NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Brigadier General Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd.), commended the officers involved in the operation for their vigilance and professionalism.
Marwa urged NDLEA personnel across the country to sustain the momentum against traffickers who attempt to conceal illicit drugs behind legitimate businesses and commercial activities.
The seizure highlights the increasingly sophisticated methods allegedly being employed by drug trafficking networks to move large quantities of controlled substances across Nigeria.
By concealing the cannabis in a specially constructed section of a fuel tanker, the traffickers appeared to have attempted to make the consignment less conspicuous during transportation.
The operation also demonstrates the importance of intelligence gathering and targeted enforcement along major transportation routes connecting different parts of the country.
The Akoko-Lokoja corridor is particularly significant because it connects parts of southwestern Nigeria with central and northern routes, potentially making it attractive to criminal networks seeking to move illicit consignments across regions.
The driver’s decision to abandon the tanker and flee after being flagged down ultimately allowed NDLEA operatives to conduct a detailed search without waiting for the suspect to remain at the scene.
Although the driver escaped, the recovered tanker and cannabis consignment are expected to form part of the agency’s investigation into the network behind the shipment.
The NDLEA has continued to intensify operations against cannabis cultivation, trafficking and distribution as part of its wider campaign against illicit drugs across the country.
The agency’s latest operation also came amid a broader nationwide crackdown that produced several other seizures involving cannabis, cocaine, opioids, methamphetamine and other controlled substances.
In one separate operation, NDLEA operatives tracked and arrested an alleged convicted cocaine trafficker accused of masterminding shipments of cocaine concealed inside phone chargers for delivery to Saudi Arabia.
The agency also reported recovering more than two million opioid pills and other illicit substances during the coordinated operations across Lagos, Adamawa, Ondo, Kaduna, Bauchi, Ekiti, Kogi, Taraba and Enugu states.
The scale of the latest seizures underscores the continuing challenge posed by organised drug trafficking networks and their attempts to exploit legitimate transportation and commercial channels.
For NDLEA, the interception of the Ondo tanker represents another disruption of a potentially large drug supply chain before the cannabis could reach its intended destination.
Investigators are expected to work towards identifying the escaped driver and other individuals connected to the consignment as the agency continues its probe into the shipment.
The seizure further reinforces the NDLEA’s warning that traffickers who attempt to hide illicit drugs behind legitimate commercial operations will remain under scrutiny.