FCT truck driver, two others held for vandalising NNPC pipeline

The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), located in Abuja’s Federal Capital Territory, has apprehended three suspects in connection with the alleged destruction of an NNPC petroleum pipeline in Dafa, under Kwali Area Council. Commandant Olusola Odumosu announced this while speaking to journalists at the corps’ Kwali Divisional Office.

Odumosu revealed that the arrests came after several days of intelligence-driven monitoring by the command’s tactical team, aided by members of a local vigilante group. He disclosed that the suspects initially fled upon noticing the operatives, leaving behind portions of the pipeline they had allegedly severed. Subsequently, on September 20, 2026, the suspects returned to reclaim the abandoned pipe segments and load them onto a truck.

The identified suspects are Maitama Inuwa, aged 30; Yahuza Danlami, 32; and Yasir Abdulrahman, 26. Inuwa is from Rafin Dadi in Kaduna State and is the truck driver; Danlami, from Anguwan Kataf, is the truck’s motor boy; and Abdulrahman, from Gajiri Village, is a representative of the alleged pipeline purchasers. Preliminary investigations have also flagged four other individuals suspected of involvement in the operation but at large.

The NSCDC suspects an organized criminal ring behind the vandalism, transportation, and potential illicit sale of the removed pipeline components. One commercial truck, loaded with the vandalized NNPC pipes and 17 pipe pieces, was recovered at the scene. The suspects were believed to target secluded and wooded areas where FCT’s petroleum pipelines pass.

Vandals would dig and cut these high-pressure pipelines during nighttime darkness and load them into trucks for ease of transport. Odumosu emphasized the potential dangers of pipeline vandalism, citing environmental risks, economic losses, and potential catastrophic explosions. The command plans to expand its inquiry to identify the alleged financiers and end-buyers, enforcing the Miscellaneous Offences Act as needed.

Residents living near pipeline corridors are urged to report suspicious activities to the NSCDC, such as strange digging or unusual truck movements.