The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), FCT Command, has arrested three suspected pipeline vandals and recovered 17 petroleum pipelines allegedly cut and abandoned in Dafa, Kwali Area Council of the Federal Capital Territory.
The FCT Commandant, Dr Olusola Odumosu, disclosed this on Wednesday, September 23, at the scene of the incident, saying the suspects allegedly operated in remote and forested areas where petroleum pipelines pass through the territory.
Odumosu said the arrests followed intelligence-led surveillance of the pipeline right of way. According to him, some suspects initially fled after sighting security operatives but later returned on Sept. 20 to load the previously severed pipes onto a truck, leading to the arrest of three of them.
The NSCDC recovered a long commercial truck loaded with the 17 vandalised pipes, while four other suspects allegedly linked to the operation remain at large. Preliminary investigations also indicated the possible involvement of an organised network responsible for vandalising, moving and selling components removed from pipeline facilities.
Odumosu warned that pipeline vandalism causes economic losses and creates risks of explosions and environmental damage. He called on residents to provide timely information about suspicious activities, while assuring the public that the NSCDC and sister security agencies would intensify efforts to protect critical national infrastructure across the FCT.
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