This study demonstrates the removal of benzothiophene (BT) and dibenzothiophene (DBT) from model oil by the impregnation of spent-tea activated-carbon (SAC) with nan-oxide of Ce/La to produce SAC-Ce/La. The sol-gel method was used to prepare the metal-oxide nanoparticles while the spent-tea was carbonized at 400 oC to give the SAC. Adsorbent characterization was determined. The removal efficiency of the SAC Ce/La was high with a maximum adsorption capacity of 56.2 mg/g compared to the separate constituents (SAC and SAC-Ce). The improvement in the adsorbate uptake by the SAC-Ce/La can be ascribed to the presence of La ion in the adsorbent. The surface area and pore volume of the SAC-Ce/La that was used to adsorb the BT/DBT are 801.6 m2g--1 and 1.12 cm3/g as obtained from BET analysis. Column and batch experiments conducted with the SAC-Ce/La showed a high breakthrough and absorptive capacity for BT/DBT. The results from equilibrium adsorption were best described by the Freundlich isotherm, while the adsorption kinetics of BT/DBT by SAC-Ce/La is best represented by the pseudo-second-order model. The thermal regeneration of SAC-Ce/La showed a sustainable adsorptive performance after 5-regeneration cycles. Therefore, the nano-oxides of Ce/La in the SAC-Ce/La can efficiently remove BT/DBT from a model fuel/oil.