The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) has strongly denied recent claims that it imported 200 million litres of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), popularly known as petrol, in February 2025.
The state-owned oil giant insists it has not brought in a single litre of petrol this year and has condemned the report as both misleading and irresponsible.
In a fiery statement issued on Tuesday in Abuja, NNPCL’s Chief Corporate Communications Officer, Olufemi Soneye, dismissed the claims as either “lazy and unprofessional journalism” or a “deliberate, sponsored attempt by economic saboteurs to mislead the public.”
Soneye left no room for ambiguity:
“The report alleging that NNPC Limited imported over 200 million litres of PMS in February 2025 is a completely false, baseless, and reckless misrepresentation of facts. It is either the result of lazy and unprofessional journalism or a deliberate, sponsored attempt by economic saboteurs to mislead the public.”
He emphasized that NNPCL does not regulate or oversee the importation activities of private marketers and urged the media to stop attributing all fuel imports to the company.
“While NNPC Limited has not imported PMS in 2025, let it be clear that there is no legal restriction preventing us from doing so if necessary,” Soneye added. “As Nigeria’s foremost energy company, we must ensure energy security. Should any supply shortages arise, NNPC Limited retains the full right and responsibility to step in and import to stabilize the market.”
NNPCL further warned that false reports of this nature could have serious economic consequences, distorting market realities and misleading key stakeholders. The company vowed to take legal action against those spreading misinformation about its operations.
“This kind of reckless reporting does a grave disservice to the public,” Soneye stated. “NNPC Limited will not hesitate to take necessary legal steps to hold accountable those responsible for fabricating and circulating such falsehoods”, he vowed.