NSCDC Arrests Truck Driver, Two Others Over Alleged NNPC Pipeline Vandalism

The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Federal Capital Territory Command, has arrested three suspects in connection with the alleged vandalism of an NNPC petroleum pipeline in Dafa, Kwali Area Council, Abuja.

The suspects were arrested on September 20, 2026, while allegedly attempting to load sections of the pipeline that had previously been cut and abandoned at the site. The FCT Commandant of the NSCDC, Olusola Odumosu, disclosed the development during a briefing at the Corps' Kwali Divisional Office on Wednesday.

Odumosu said the operation followed credible intelligence about suspected vandalism along the pipeline's right of way. The command subsequently placed the area under surveillance with the support of members of a local vigilante group.

According to the commandant, suspected members of the group initially fled after noticing security operatives, leaving behind sections of the pipeline they had allegedly severed.

He said the suspects returned to the location on September 20 to retrieve the abandoned sections and load them into a truck, prompting the NSCDC surveillance team and vigilante members to move in.

Three suspects were arrested, while other alleged members of the group escaped into the surrounding bush.

The arrested suspects were identified as Maitama Inuwa, 30; Yahuza Danlami, 32; and Yasir Abdulrahman, 26.

Inuwa, from Rafin Dadi in Lere Local Government Area of Kaduna State, was identified as the alleged driver of a commercial truck with registration number MAK 159 XA (Niger).

Danlami, also from Lere Local Government Area, was identified as the truck's motor boy, while Abdulrahman, from Gajiri Village in Suleja, Niger State, was described by the NSCDC as a representative of alleged dealers in the vandalised pipeline components.

The NSCDC said preliminary investigations had identified four additional people allegedly connected with the operation, although they remained at large.

Odumosu said the investigation pointed to the possible existence of an organised network involved in the alleged vandalism, transportation and illicit sale of components removed from the pipeline right of way.

Operatives recovered one commercial truck loaded with allegedly vandalised NNPC petroleum pipes and 17 pieces of pipeline from the scene.

Odumosu said suspected vandals often target remote and forested areas where petroleum pipelines pass through the FCT, allegedly cutting pipeline sections into smaller pieces to facilitate their removal and transportation.

He warned that pipeline vandalism could result in significant economic losses and pose serious risks to lives and the environment, including the possibility of explosions.

The command said its investigation would be expanded to identify the alleged sponsors and end-buyers connected to the operation and determine the full extent of the suspected network.

Odumosu also urged residents living around pipeline corridors to report suspicious activities, including unusual digging and movements of trucks in remote areas, to security authorities.