The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) has firmly rejected recent allegations regarding its importation of 200 million litres of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), commonly referred to as petrol, in February 2025.
The state-run oil corporation asserts that it has not imported any litres of petrol this year and has criticized the report as misleading and irresponsible.
In a passionate statement released on Tuesday in Abuja, NNPCL’s Chief Corporate Communications Officer, Olufemi Soneye, characterized the claims as either “lazy and unprofessional journalism” or a “deliberate, sponsored effort by economic saboteurs to mislead the public.”
Soneye made his stance clear:
“The assertion that NNPC Limited imported over 200 million litres of PMS in February 2025 is utterly false, baseless, and a reckless distortion of the truth. It results from either lazy and unprofessional journalism or a deliberate, sponsored attempt by economic saboteurs to mislead the public.”
He pointed out that NNPCL does not control or supervise the import activities of private marketers and urged the press to stop attributing all fuel imports to the company.
“While NNPC Limited has not carried out PMS imports in 2025, it should be made clear that there are no legal barriers preventing us from doing so if required,” Soneye noted.
“As Nigeria’s leading energy firm, we must ensure energy security. If any supply issues arise, NNPC Limited maintains the full authority and duty to intervene and import to stabilize the market.”
NNPCL also cautioned that misleading reports of this nature could lead to significant economic repercussions, distorting market realities and confusing key stakeholders. The company committed to pursuing legal action against those disseminating false information about its operations.
“This type of irresponsible reporting poses a severe disservice to the public,” Soneye remarked.
“NNPC Limited will not hesitate to take appropriate legal actions to hold accountable those creating and sharing such falsehoods,” he promised.
