The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Federal Capital Territory Command, has apprehended three individuals suspected of vandalising an NNPC petroleum pipeline in Dafa, Kwali Area Council, Abuja. According to NSCDC Commandant Olusola Odumosu, the arrests were made following intelligence-led surveillance by the command's tactical team and a local vigilante group. The suspects were said to have been involved in the vandalism of the pipeline, causing economic losses and posing risks to lives and the environment.
The suspects, identified as Maitama Inuwa, 30; Yahuza Danlami, 32; and Yasir Abdulrahman, 26, were arrested on September 20, 2026, while attempting to retrieve abandoned pipe sections. Inuwa, from Rafin Dadi in Kaduna State, was driving a truck with registration number MAK 159 XA, allegedly used to convey the vandalised pipes. Danlami, from Anguwan Kataf, Kaduna State, was the truck's motor boy, while Abdulrahman, from Gajiri Village, Niger State, was described as a representative of the alleged buyers of the vandalised pipes.
Preliminary investigations revealed that the suspects were part of an organised criminal network involved in the vandalism, transportation, and alleged illicit sale of pipeline components. Four other persons allegedly connected to the operation are currently at large. The NSCDC recovered one commercial truck loaded with vandalised NNPC petroleum pipes and 17 pieces of the pipes from the scene. The command is extending its investigation to identify the alleged financiers and end-buyers of the vandalised pipeline components.
The NSCDC commandant warned that pipeline vandalism poses serious risks to lives and the environment, apart from causing economic losses to the country. He explained that the vandals target remote and forested areas where petroleum pipelines pass through the FCT, digging up and cutting high-pressure pipelines into sizeable pieces for easy loading into trucks. Odumosu appealed to residents living along pipeline corridors to report suspicious activities to the NSCDC.
Odumosu urged residents to report any unusual digging or movement of trucks in remote areas, saying that the command would work tirelessly to identify and prosecute those involved in the sabotage. He also warned that the NSCDC would enforce the full weight of the Miscellaneous Offences Act against those found guilty. The commandant commended the local vigilante group for their support in the operation.
The arrested suspects are currently being held at the NSCDC's Kwali Divisional Office, while investigations are ongoing. The NSCDC is working to strengthen its surveillance and intelligence gathering to prevent future incidents of pipeline vandalism in the FCT. The incident has highlighted the need for increased collaboration between security agencies and local communities to combat economic sabotage.
The FCT Command of the NSCDC has reiterated its commitment to protecting critical infrastructure and preventing economic sabotage in the territory. The command has called on residents to provide information on suspicious activities and to support its efforts to secure the FCT. Key Points:
Key points
- Three suspects arrested for vandalising NNPC petroleum pipeline in Abuja
- Suspects part of organised criminal network involved in vandalism, transportation, and alleged illicit sale of pipeline components
- NSCDC to extend investigation to identify alleged financiers and end-buyers of vandalised pipeline components
