Three Arrested for Damaging NNPC Pipeline in Abuja

The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps in the Federal Capital Territory has arrested three people for allegedly damaging an NNPC petroleum pipeline in Dafa, Kwali Area Council, Abuja.

The FCT Commandant of the NSCDC, Olusola Odumosu, shared this news with journalists at the corps’ Kwali office on Wednesday.

Odumosu explained that the arrests were made after days of careful monitoring by the tactical team, with help from local vigilantes.

He said the operatives got reliable information about vandalism along the pipeline route and started watching the area.

The commandant noted that the suspects ran away when they saw the operatives, leaving behind parts of the pipeline they had cut.

On September 20, 2026, the suspects returned to collect the abandoned pipe sections and load them into a truck.

“NSCDC operatives on surveillance, with support from the vigilante group, quickly moved in and arrested three of the suspects, while some of their accomplices ran into the nearby bush,” Odumosu said.

The suspects are Maitama Inuwa, 30; Yahuza Danlami, 32; and Yasir Abdulrahman, 26.

Inuwa, from Rafin Dadi in Kaduna State, was the driver of the truck with registration number MAK 159 XA (Niger), which was allegedly used to transport the damaged pipes.

Danlami, from Anguwan Kataf in Kaduna State, was the truck’s motor boy, while Abdulrahman, from Gajiri Village in Niger State, was said to be a representative of the buyers of the stolen pipes.

Odumosu mentioned that initial investigations revealed four other people linked to the crime, who are currently on the run.

He said the investigation suggests there could be a larger criminal group involved in vandalism, transporting, and selling parts taken from the pipeline area.

The NSCDC commandant said operatives recovered one long truck loaded with damaged NNPC petroleum pipes and 17 pieces of the pipes at the scene.

Odumosu explained how the suspects operated, saying they targeted remote and forest areas where petroleum pipelines are located.

“These vandals work in isolated and forested areas where pipelines run through the FCT. At night, they dig up and cut these high-pressure pipelines into smaller pieces to load into their trucks,” he said.

He cautioned that pipeline vandalism is risky for both lives and the environment and causes economic losses for the nation.

“This reckless act not only leads to huge economic losses but also brings immediate risks of explosions and harm to the environment,” he said.

Odumosu said the command will continue to investigate to find the people who finance and buy the stolen pipeline parts.

“The command will work hard to identify the end-buyers and the sponsors behind this crime and enforce the full weight of the Miscellaneous Offences Act,” he said.

He also urged residents near pipeline routes to report any suspicious activities, such as unusual digging or truck movements in remote areas, to the NSCDC.

“Do not protect these economic saboteurs; report any strange digging or unusual truck movements in remote areas to the NSCDC immediately. If you see something, please say something, and the NSCDC will act.”