The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) has arrested six suspected pipeline vandals allegedly caught siphoning Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) from vandalised Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) pipelines in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), intensifying efforts to curb economic sabotage and protect critical national infrastructure.
The suspects, all males aged between 20 and 32, were paraded on Thursday at the scene of the alleged crime in Pagada I, Dobi Ward, Gwagwalada Area Council, Abuja, where operatives uncovered the illegal operation.
Addressing journalists, the FCT Commandant of the NSCDC, Dr. Olusola Odumosu, said the Command’s Anti-Vandal Squad acted on credible intelligence and a tip-off about suspicious activities around the pipeline corridor.
He said the suspects were arrested while allegedly scooping petrol from pipelines they had punctured using hand drilling equipment and transferring the stolen product into jerrycans and plastic bags.
Items recovered from the suspects included two motorcycles, two locally fabricated firearms, four 25-litre jerrycans filled with suspected stolen petrol, two empty jerrycans, a shovel and hand drilling machines believed to have been used to puncture the pipelines.
Odumosu disclosed that preliminary investigations indicated the suspects had surveyed the area and identified sections of the underground pipelines containing fuel residue before carrying out the operation.
According to him, one of the suspects, said to be an indigene of Pagada I, allegedly recruited two accomplices from the Lambata area, while three members of a local vigilante group were also implicated for allegedly providing protection and logistical support during the operation.
The commandant said investigations had been expanded to track down other members of the syndicate, adding that the Nigeria Petroleum Storage Company had been notified to repair the damaged pipelines and strengthen security around the facility.
Describing pipeline vandalism as a grave act of economic sabotage, Odumosu warned that the Corps would continue to crack down on individuals and groups involved in the destruction of public infrastructure. “We condemn in strong terms any form of vandalism in the FCT, whether it involves petroleum pipelines, manhole covers, crash barriers, bridge aluminium, streetlights, armoured cables, transformers or railway sleepers. These are deliberate acts intended to undermine and cripple the nation’s economy,” he said.
He noted that pipeline vandalism contributes to fuel shortages, environmental pollution and severe fire hazards, while also threatening farmlands and the livelihoods of surrounding communities.
The NSCDC boss vowed that anyone found vandalising public assets for personal gain would face the full weight of the law, urging residents and traditional rulers to support security agencies with timely and credible intelligence.
“When you see something, say something, and we will do something,” he added, assuring members of the public that the identities of informants would be protected.
Also speaking, the Councillor representing Dobi Ward, Gado Shuaibu, commended the NSCDC for its swift intervention and warned residents against engaging in acts of vandalism, declaring that he would not plead on behalf of anyone arrested for such offences.
Similarly, the Village Chief of Pagada I, Abubakar Ibrahim, pledged the community’s continued cooperation with security agencies to safeguard critical infrastructure and prevent future attacks.
The latest arrests come as security agencies intensify operations against pipeline vandalism and petroleum theft, offences that continue to inflict heavy economic losses on Nigeria’s oil and gas sector, disrupt fuel supply and endanger lives and the environment.
