The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Federal Capital Territory Command, has arrested three suspected members of a syndicate allegedly involved in the vandalism of NNPC pipelines at Dafa in the Kwali Area Council of the FCT.
The Corps also recovered a commercial truck loaded with 17 pieces of petroleum pipes allegedly cut from the pipeline Right of Way (ROW).
The FCT Commandant of the NSCDC, Dr Olusola Odumosu, disclosed this on Wednesday during a press briefing at the Corps’ Kwali Divisional Office.
Odumosu said the operation followed intelligence provided by a vigilante group working with the NSCDC, which enabled security operatives to monitor the area for an extended period.
He said the suspects initially fled after sighting the operatives, leaving behind the pipeline components they had allegedly cut.
According to him, the suspects returned on September 20, 2026, to allegedly load the vandalized pipes into a truck, prompting NSCDC operatives and members of the vigilante group to arrest three of them.
The suspects were identified as Maitama Inuwa, 30, from Rafin Dadi in the Lere Local Government Area of Kaduna State, who was allegedly driving the truck; Yahuza Danlami, 32, from Anguwan Kataf, Mariri, also in the Lere LGA, allegedly the motor boy; and Yasir Abdulrahman, 26, from Gajiri Village, Suleja, Niger State, allegedly a representative of dealers in the vandalized pipes.
The truck, with registration number MAK 159 XA (Niger), was also recovered.
ALSO READ: NSCDC arrests, detains 24 personnel over 37 miners’ death
Odumosu said preliminary investigations had linked four other persons to the operation, adding that they were currently at large.
He said the investigation also indicated that the suspects were part of an organized network allegedly involved in vandalizing pipelines, moving the removed components, and selling them illegally.
The Commandant said further investigations were underway to identify other persons allegedly involved and determine the full extent of the activities.
He said preliminary findings showed that the suspects operated in remote and forested areas where petroleum pipelines passed through the FCT, allegedly cutting the pipelines into pieces that could be transported.
Odumosu said pipeline vandalism posed risks to lives and property and could also result in economic losses and environmental damage.
He said the arrested suspects had undergone preliminary investigation and profiling before being granted administrative bail after meeting the stipulated conditions.
According to him, the Command’s Legal Unit would review the case file and determine the appropriate legal action in line with extant laws.
Odumosu also said the Command would investigate alleged end-buyers and sponsors of the operation, while efforts were ongoing to arrest those still at large.
He assured that the investigation would be conducted professionally and transparently, stressing that anyone found to have participated in, facilitated, or benefited from the alleged vandalism would be prosecuted before a court of competent jurisdiction.
The Commandant commended the Kwali vigilante group for its cooperation and urged residents and communities along the pipeline corridor to provide credible information about suspicious activities to security agencies.
He also called on traditional rulers, community leaders, youths, and residents to remain vigilant and report unusual movements of trucks, suspicious digging, and other activities around pipeline Right of Ways.
Odumosu said the protection of critical national infrastructure remained a core responsibility of the NSCDC, adding that the Command would continue to deploy intelligence-led operations, surveillance, and community-based security strategies to address vandalism and other threats to national assets.