By Seun Ibiyemi
The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd), in collaboration with key security agencies, has intensified efforts to combat pipeline vandalism with a joint inspection of a damaged crude oil pipeline at Pai Community in Kwali Area Council of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja.
The operation was carried out under the Industry-Wide Security Architecture (IWSA) alongside the Nigerian Pipelines and Storage Company (NPSC), the Office of the National Security Adviser (Office of the National Security Adviser) Special Prosecution Team, the FCT Police Command, the Nigerian Army, and other security stakeholders.
Stakeholders from the NNPC Ltd’s Industry Wide Security Architecture (IWSA), Nigerian Pipelines & Storage Company (NPSC), Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), FCT Police Command, the Nigerian Army and other security stakeholders, conducting a joint inspection of a vandalized section of the NPSC crude oil pipeline at Pai Community in Kwali Area Council of the FCT, in Abuja, on Tuesday.
According to the statement, the inspection followed the arrest of three suspected pipeline vandals in the Piri and Pai communities through coordinated intelligence-led operations involving the security agencies and NNPC Ltd’s security framework.
Officials said the exercise was aimed at assessing the extent of damage to critical national infrastructure, strengthening ongoing investigations, and reinforcing coordinated action against economic sabotage targeting Nigeria’s energy assets.
NNPC Ltd noted that its subsidiary, the Nigerian Pipelines and Storage Company, manages over 5,000 kilometres of crude oil and petroleum products pipelines, but warned that vandalism has increased significantly since 2024.
The company revealed that in 2025 alone, 19 vandalism cases were recorded, with about 9 kilometres of pipeline stolen along key corridors including Enugu–Makurdi–Yola and Warri–Kaduna routes. In 2026, five additional incidents have already been reported across Piri–Kwali, Gwagwalada, and the Jos–Gombe pipeline corridor.
Speaking during the inspection, the Group Chief Executive Officer of NNPC Ltd, Engr. Bashir Bayo Ojulari—represented by Chief Interface Officer Dahiru Sani-Gwarzo—said the arrests represent part of a broader effort to dismantle criminal networks behind pipeline sabotage.
He emphasized that those arrested are only a fraction of wider syndicates responsible for coordinated attacks on national energy infrastructure, warning that sponsors and masterminds would be identified and prosecuted.
“The industry-wide security architecture has been actively pursuing criminal elements involved in the sabotage of our energy infrastructure,” he said, stressing that such acts undermine national development, energy security, and investor confidence.
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The Commissioner of Police, FCT Command, CP Ahmed Muhammed Sanusi, said the operation reflected the resolve of security agencies to protect critical national assets. He added that investigations have already produced leads on sponsors and receivers of stolen pipeline materials.
Also speaking, the Director of Energy Security at the Office of the National Security Adviser, Mr. Goodluck Ebele, urged Nigerians to support security agencies with timely and credible information to prevent further vandalism.
Representing the Nigerian Army, Lt. Col. J.O. Ajongbo reaffirmed the military’s commitment to safeguarding oil and gas infrastructure nationwide.
Similarly, the Deputy Chairman of the House Committee on Petroleum Resources (Upstream), Hon. Sesi Whingan, pledged legislative backing to strengthen deterrence against pipeline vandalism.
