The scale of the operation indicates a highly organised network involving specialised equipment, logistics support and detailed knowledge of the pipeline route.
A major national security and economic sabotage has unfolded in Nigeria's South-East as suspected pipeline vandals have excavated and removed more than three kilometres of a strategic high-pressure petroleum pipeline that transports refined petroleum products from Port Harcourt, Rivers State, to Kaduna in Northern Nigeria.
A SaharaReporters investigation revealed that the large-scale vandalisation occurred in remote forests straddling Eha-Amufu in Isi-Uzo Local Government Area of Enugu State and Obeagu Community in Ishielu Local Government Area of Ebonyi State, raising serious questions about security oversight and the protection of critical national infrastructure.
The affected pipeline forms part of Nigeria's vital petroleum distribution network, conveying petroleum products from the Port Harcourt refinery corridor through several states to northern parts of the country.
During a visit to the scene, SaharaReporters observed extensive excavation trenches stretching across difficult terrain, with evidence suggesting that the operation was carried out over an extended period rather than as a hit-and-run criminal activity.
