Taraba Police Arrest Nine Over NNPC Pipeline Vandalism, Recover Industrial Tools

Police in Taraba State have arrested nine suspects accused of vandalising a Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) pipeline along the Kona Mountains and Minda axis.

The suspects were apprehended on 15 September 2025, following intelligence reports that vandals were tampering with a major petroleum pipeline in the area.

Police spokesperson James Lashen Saminu confirmed the arrests in a statement on Tuesday, revealing that operatives from the Anti-Kidnapping Squad, led by Ayuba Yohanna, stormed the scene at around 10:13 a.m. and caught the suspects in the act.

Suspects and recovered items

Those arrested were identified as Lagne Apollos (20), Isa Aminu (20), Ahmad Aminu (15), Kamal Abubakar (25), Solomon Tanko (20), Simon Mathias (19), Victor Kanu (26), Dogara Patrick (21), and Emmanuel Apollos (20).

Police also recovered a cache of industrial equipment believed to have been used in the vandalism, including:

• 30 cut-to-size pipes
• 3 long welding cylinders
• 2 short gas cylinders
• 2 shovels
• 3 chains
• 3 scissors
• 3 hammers
• 1 vintage Ridgid tool

Police vow crackdown on pipeline vandals

The suspects are currently in police custody as investigations continue.

The Taraba Police Command stressed its commitment to safeguarding critical national infrastructure, warning that anyone found sabotaging oil and gas facilities would face the “full weight of the law.”

Pipeline vandalism remains a persistent challenge for Nigeria, often leading to fuel shortages, environmental damage, and huge economic losses for the nation.