By Danjuma Amodu
The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) has arrested six suspected petroleum pipeline vandals for allegedly siphoning Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) from vandalised Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) pipelines in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
The suspects, all males aged between 20 and 32, were paraded on Thursday at the scene of the crime in Pagada I, Dobi Ward, Gwagwalada Area Council.
Addressing journalists, the FCT Commandant of the NSCDC, Dr. Olusola Odumosu, said operatives of the Command’s Anti-Vandal Squad acted on credible intelligence and a tip-off regarding suspicious activities along the pipeline corridor.
According to him, the suspects were apprehended while scooping petrol from pipelines they had punctured with drilling equipment and transferring the product into jerrycans and plastic bags.
Items recovered included two motorcycles, two locally fabricated firearms, four 25-litre jerrycans containing suspected stolen PMS, two empty jerrycans, a shovel and hand-operated drilling machines.
Odumosu disclosed that preliminary investigations revealed the suspects had studied the terrain and identified points where underground pipelines still contained fuel residue. He added that one of the suspects, an indigene of Pagada I, allegedly recruited two accomplices from Lambata for the operation.
He further alleged that three members of a local vigilante group provided protection and support to the vandals during the illegal activity.
The Commandant said investigations were ongoing to apprehend other members of the network, while the Nigerian Petroleum Storage Company has been notified to repair and secure the damaged pipelines.
Describing pipeline vandalism as economic sabotage, Odumosu warned that the Corps would not tolerate the destruction of critical national 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 scarcity and environmental degradation, and also exposes communities to fire outbreaks while threatening agricultural activities in affected areas.
Odumosu vowed that anyone found vandalising public assets for personal gain would face the full weight of the law. He also appealed to residents and traditional institutions to support security agencies with timely and credible information, assuring that informants’ identities would be protected.
“When you see something, say something, and we will do something,” he said.
Also speaking, the Councillor representing Dobi Ward, Gado Shuaibu, commended the NSCDC for its swift response and urged residents to desist from vandalism. He warned that he would not intervene 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 incidents.
The arrests come amid renewed efforts by security agencies to curb pipeline vandalism and petroleum product theft — crimes that continue to undermine Nigeria’s oil sector, threaten public safety and inflict significant economic losses.
