Operatives of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Command of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) have arrested three suspects for allegedly vandalising 17 petroleum pipelines in Dafa, a remote community in the Kwali Area Council of Abuja.
The arrests were made following a targeted intelligence-led operation, effectively disrupting a syndicate responsible for sabotaging crucial energy infrastructure designed to transport petroleum products and crude oil to the Kaduna Refinery and other regional depots.
Briefing journalists on Wednesday directly at the crime scene in Kwali, the FCT Commandant of the NSCDC, Dr. Olusola Odumosu, revealed that the suspects operated under cover of darkness in isolated, forested stretches along the pipeline right-of-way.
“When it’s dark, they deliberately dig up and cut these high-pressure pipelines into sizeable pieces for easy loading into their trucks,” Odumosu explained.
According to the Commandant, the corps initiated intensive surveillance in the area after receiving credible intelligence regarding ongoing economic sabotage. Upon initially sighting security personnel during early patrols, the suspects fled into the surrounding bush, abandoning a collection of already severed iron pipes.
The monitoring team maintained a covert ambush until September 20, when the suspects returned to the location with a heavy-duty commercial truck to retrieve the abandoned pipes.
“NSCDC operatives on surveillance, supported by members of the local vigilante group, swiftly moved in and arrested three of the suspects, while some other members of the gang reportedly escaped into the surrounding bush,” Odumosu said.
A long commercial truck fully loaded with 17 vandalized Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) pipes was impounded at the scene as evidence.
Emphasizing the severe threat posed by such activities, Odumosu noted that pipeline vandalism inflicts massive economic losses on the nation while exposing host communities to catastrophic explosions and acute environmental degradation.
Preliminary investigations conducted by the command’s Intelligence and Investigation Department point to a broader organized criminal network involved in the theft, transport, and illicit sale of critical national infrastructure components. Four additional accomplices have been identified and are currently at large.
The Commandant assured that the arrested suspects are undergoing intense profiling and will be granted administrative bail once stipulated conditions are met, pending formal prosecution in a court of competent jurisdiction. He stressed that the corps is actively tracking down the financiers, end-buyers, and sponsors behind the operation.
“Anyone found to have participated in, facilitated, or benefited from the alleged criminal activities shall be prosecuted,” he affirmed.
Odumosu expressed gratitude to FCT Minister Nyesom Wike and the NSCDC Commandant General, Dr. Ahmed Audi, for their continued operational support. He also commended the local vigilante group and Kwali residents for their collaboration, urging members of the public to maintain confidence in security agencies by reporting suspicious activities promptly.
Reacting to the development, the representative of Kwali Area Council, Mr. Aliyu Zagana, praised the NSCDC for intervening to protect community assets and warned vandals to desist from illegal activities within the council area.
