
The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited NNPC reported 24 pipeline theft cases across its network between 2025 and 2026. This disclosure was made by Andy Odeh, Chief Corporate Communications Officer of NNPC Ltd., following a joint inspection of a vandalized section of the Nigerian Pipelines and Storage Company NPSC crude oil pipeline at Pai Community in the Kwali Area Council of the Federal Capital Territory. Nineteen cases were reported in 2025, and five have been recorded so far in 2026. The inspection involved NNPC, NPSC, the Office of the National Security Adviser Special Prosecution Team, the FCT Police Command, the Nigerian Army, and other security stakeholders. This followed the arrest of three suspected pipeline vandals in the Piri and Pai communities. NPSC, an NNPC subsidiary, manages over 5,000 kilometers of crude oil and petroleum products pipeline network. The company noted an increase in pipeline theft since 2024, alleging that criminals, posing as an “NNPC/Federal Government Taskforce for Recovery of Abandoned Pipelines,” conspire with locals to steal pipelines. Approximately nine kilometers of pipeline sections were stolen in 2025 along the Enugu-Makurdi-Yola corridor and between Piri and Izom on the Warri-Kaduna pipeline route. The five cases in 2026 occurred at Piri-Kwali and Gwagwalada along the Warri-Kaduna crude oil pipeline segment and at Badanga along the Jos-Gombe pipeline corridor. Bayo Ojulari, Group Chief Executive Officer of NNPC, represented
Free daily or weekly digest of the most important stories from across 18 African countries. No spam, unsubscribe any time.
This summary was AI-generated from a story originally published by Punch Nigeria.
Must ReadThe Nigerian Senate has urged security agencies to intensify surveillance and enforcement against bandits and terrorists who display their criminal activities and financial gains on social media platforms, particularly TikTok. This resolution follows a motion by Senator Sunday Karimi concerning rising bandit attacks in Kogi West and other regions. Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan introduced an additional prayer for coordinated action by the Nigerian Police Force National Cybercrime Centre and other security agencies to track and arrest individuals using social media to publicize criminal operations. Akpoti-Uduaghan highlighted instances where armed groups flaunt ill-gotten wealth and conduct "giveaways" online, questioning why such overt digital footprints have not led to arrests. Senate President Godswill Akpabio described these actions as an affront to state authority and a deliberate attempt to undermine public confidence in the country's security architecture, emphasizing the need for improved coordination and real-time response to online intelligence, and accountability for arrests and prosecutions.

Seychelles and Eritrea have adopted Abbott’s Determine Antenatal Care Panel, a World Health Organization-prequalified integrated diagnostic test, to intensify their fight against mother-to-child transmission of HIV, syphilis, and hepatitis B. This integrated test allows for simultaneous screening of these three infections from a single finger-prick blood sample, providing results within minutes. The innovation aligns with WHO's goals for the triple elimination of these infections and is particularly beneficial in regions where pregnant women may have limited antenatal visits. The Determine ANC Panel is the first and only WHO prequalified rapid diagnostic test that includes a 4th-generation HIV test. Both Seychelles and Eritrea's Ministries of Health have highlighted the significance of this adoption, with Eritrea building on its previous success in eliminating mother-to-child transmission of HIV. Experts emphasize that without early diagnosis, syphilis and hepatitis B can lead to adverse pregnancy outcomes and long-term health complications. Dr. Andrew Mulwa, head of Kenya's National AIDS and STIs Control Programme, noted Kenya's updated national PMTCT guidelines to reflect triple elimination. Aziz Abdi, Abbott’s General Manager for Rapid Diagnostics in Central, East and West Africa, stated that the test empowers healthcare workers to detect infections and act immediately to prevent transmission.
Must ReadOperatives from the Department of State Services DSS and the Nigerian Army successfully thwarted a plan by the outlawed Eastern Security Network ESN to abduct students taking the West African Senior School Certificate Examination WASSCE in Enugu, Anambra, and Imo states. Acting on intelligence, security forces raided an ESN armory in Agbani, Enugu State, recovering eight AK-47 rifles, 12 AK-47 magazines, 323 rounds of 7.62mm special ammunition, a smoke grenade launcher, two teargas canisters, and ten National Youth Service Corps NYSC trousers, eight NYSC T-shirts, and four NYSC lanyards. Intelligence indicated that ESN members intended to carry out the attacks while disguised in NYSC uniforms to create the impression that bandits were responsible. Several ESN members were reportedly arrested. Earlier, another ESN armory was raided in the Garki area of Enugu, yielding a rocket launcher, two rocket-propelled grenade warheads, three RPG chargers, three AK-47 rifles, six AK-47 magazines, two handheld grenades, one teargas gun, a baton, two teargas canisters, 270 rounds of NATO 7.62x39mm ammunition, 478 rounds of 7.62x39mm special ammunition, and a bandolier. These recoveries follow the arrest of five suspected arms couriers linked to a previous abduction of students and staff in Niger State on November 21, 2025. The foiled abduction highlights ongoing concerns about school kidnappings in Nigeria.