The management of Dangote Petroleum Refinery has issued a stern warning to petroleum marketers over the growing number of leaking fuel trucks arriving at its loading gantry, calling the trend a serious safety risk to Africa’s largest refinery.

In an internal circular seen by Sunday PUNCH on Friday, the refinery said it had recorded a “disturbingly high” volume of product-laden tankers arriving in poor mechanical condition, despite repeated warnings and penalties.

Signed by the Group Commercial Operations Department, the notice noted that many trucks continue to show up with cracked valves, loose fittings, and leaking products—faults that sharply increase the risk of fire at the multibillion-dollar complex.

The refinery warned that the situation “portends great danger to the entire refinery” and would no longer be tolerated.

“It has been observed that the number of leaking trucks arriving at the gantry remains high, despite the repeated warnings and the fines imposed on each truck.”

“The trend has been on the increased daily, and this portends great danger to the entire refinery, and this will no longer be tolerated. Effective immediately, any tanker found leaking at the gantry will not only attract fines but will expose the owner-marketer to severe sanctions, including a temporary suspension from loading operations at the refinery.

“Any truck found leaking at the gantry will not only be fined, but the affected marketer will be severely sanctioned, which may include denying him further operational activities within the refinery for a specified period,” the circular stated.

It added that the move was necessary to “protect the facility from any danger” and said it expects full compliance going forward. The Dangote refinery urged marketers to ensure that “only good and healthy trucks” are deployed for loading, stressing that no excuses will be accepted for safety breaches.

“We appeal to you to ensure you present ONLY good and healthy trucks for your loading, and there should be no excuse for any failure,” the refinery said.

Nigeria’s petroleum distribution network has long grappled with ageing tanker fleets, many of which fail safety checks or suffer from poor maintenance.

Regulators, including the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority, have repeatedly called for stricter safety enforcement and more frequent inspections. Yet implementation remains weak, allowing many marketers to keep operating dilapidated trucks that endanger depot facilities and public roads alike.