NNPC pipeline theft surge as company records 24 vandalism cases between 2025 and 2026, highlighting growing attacks on energy infrastructure

The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd.) has raised fresh concerns over the security of Nigeria’s energy infrastructure after disclosing that it recorded 24 cases of pipeline theft between 2025 and 2026 across its nationwide network.

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The disclosure was made on Wednesday in a statement by the Chief Corporate Communications Officer of NNPC Ltd., Andy Odeh, following a joint inspection of a vandalised section of the Nigerian Pipelines and Storage Company (NPSC) crude oil pipeline at Pai Community in Kwali Area Council of the Federal Capital Territory.

According to the company, 19 incidents of pipeline theft were recorded in 2025, while five additional cases have already been confirmed in 2026, underscoring what officials described as a persistent and escalating threat to national energy security.

The inspection was carried out in collaboration with the Office of the National Security Adviser Special Prosecution Team, the FCT Police Command, the Nigerian Army and other security stakeholders under the industry-wide security architecture designed to protect critical oil and gas infrastructure.

The visit followed the arrest of three suspected pipeline vandals in the Piri and Pai communities after a coordinated security operation involving multiple agencies.

NNPC said the Nigerian Pipelines and Storage Company, a subsidiary of the corporation, manages more than 5,000 kilometres of crude oil and petroleum products pipelines across the country, much of which remains vulnerable to sabotage.

The company further alleged that criminal groups have increasingly operated under the guise of a so-called “NNPC/Federal Government Taskforce for Recovery of Abandoned Pipelines,” using the disguise to gain access to pipeline corridors and illegally extract materials in collaboration with local accomplices.

It added that approximately nine kilometres of pipeline sections were stolen in 2025 along the Enugu-Makurdi-Yola corridor and sections of the Warri-Kaduna pipeline route between Piri and Izom.

In 2026, the reported incidents occurred at Piri-Kwali and Gwagwalada along the Warri-Kaduna crude oil pipeline corridor, as well as at Badanga along the Jos-Gombe pipeline axis.

Speaking during the inspection, the Group Chief Executive Officer of NNPC Ltd., Bayo Ojulari, represented by the Chief Interface Officer, Dahiru Sani-Gwarzo, described the arrests as a critical breakthrough in ongoing efforts to dismantle organised criminal networks behind pipeline vandalism.

He said the industry-wide security framework continues to target not only arrested suspects but also the wider network of sponsors and collaborators.

“These acts undermine national development, energy security and investor confidence,” he said, adding that the company would continue working with security agencies to ensure decisive enforcement against perpetrators.

The Commissioner of Police, FCT Command, Ahmed Sanusi, confirmed that the arrested suspects were tracked through intelligence-led surveillance and targeted patrols after reports of interference with pipeline infrastructure.

He added that investigations were ongoing and had already begun to reveal links to suspected sponsors and receivers of stolen materials, assuring that all individuals connected to the crimes would be identified and prosecuted under the law.

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Authorities say the latest crackdown reflects renewed efforts to protect Nigeria’s critical oil infrastructure amid rising concerns over repeated attacks on national energy assets.