ABUJA – The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps has arrested three suspects allegedly linked to the vandalism and attempted removal of components of an NNPC pipeline in the Dafa area of Kwali Area Council, Abuja.
The suspects were arrested on September 20, 2026, while allegedly attempting to load already severed sections of the pipeline into a commercial truck.
The FCT Commandant of the NSCDC, Olusola Odumosu, disclosed this on Wednesday during a press briefing at the Corps’ Kwali Divisional Office.
Odumosu said the operation followed credible intelligence provided by a local vigilante group collaborating with the NSCDC, which led to days of surveillance around the pipeline Right of Way.
According to him, the suspects initially fled after sighting security operatives, abandoning the vandalised pipeline sections at the scene.
He said they later returned to the location and attempted to evacuate the materials, only to be intercepted by NSCDC personnel supported by vigilantes.
The suspects were identified as 30-year-old Maitama Inuwa, from Rafin Dadi in Lere Local Government Area of Kaduna State; 32-year-old Yahuza Danlami, from Anguwan Kataf, Mariri, also in Lere LGA; and 26-year-old Yasir Abdulrahman, from Gajiri Village, Suleja, Niger State.
Odumosu said Inuwa was the driver of the truck with registration number MAK 159 XA (Niger), while Danlami was the motor boy. Abdulrahman, he added, was allegedly acting as a representative of dealers in the vandalised pipeline materials.
The NSCDC boss said 17 pieces of vandalised NNPC petroleum pipes were recovered alongside the truck allegedly used to transport them.
He disclosed that preliminary investigations had uncovered four other persons allegedly connected with the operation, who are currently at large.
Odumosu said the investigation had also revealed indications of an organised network involved in the vandalism, transportation and illicit sale of components removed from the pipeline corridor.
He explained that the suspects allegedly targeted remote and forested sections of the pipeline corridor, where they operated under the cover of darkness, digging up and cutting the high-pressure pipelines into smaller sections for transportation.
The Commandant warned that pipeline vandalism not only causes economic losses but could trigger explosions, environmental damage and other serious security risks.
He said the arrested suspects had undergone preliminary investigation and profiling and were granted administrative bail after meeting the stipulated conditions.
Odumosu added that the Command’s Legal Unit would review the case file for appropriate legal action, while efforts were ongoing to arrest other suspects and identify alleged sponsors and end-buyers of the vandalised materials.
He assured that anyone found to have participated in, facilitated or benefited from the alleged criminal activities would face prosecution in accordance with the law.
The Commandant commended the Kwali vigilante group for its role in providing intelligence and supporting the operation.
He also appealed to residents, traditional rulers, youths and communities along pipeline corridors in the FCT to report suspicious movements, digging activities and unusual movement of trucks around critical infrastructure.
“When you see something, please say something, and the NSCDC will do something, as you have all seen today,” Odumosu said.
He reiterated the commitment of the NSCDC, under the supervision of its Commandant General, Prof Ahmed Abubakar Audi, to intensify intelligence-led operations and community collaboration to protect critical national infrastructure across the FCT.