Nigeria Records 34,042 Cases Of Pipeline Vandalism In 14 yrs



From the first recorded case of pipeline vandalism and rupture in 1999 within Nigeria, there have been 34,041 other cases in five major states in the country since then, according to the Pipelines and Products Marketing Company, PPMC.

From inception case date to 2013.

‎The five major areas where vandals carry out their nefarious operations, often referred to as ‘hot spots’, include Gombe, Kaduna, Mosimi in Ogun State, Port Harcourt (Rivers State) and Warri in Delta states.

According to facts and figures released by PPMC, a subsidiary of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, 2010 saw the highest recorded cases of 5,518 vandalism. 2011, 2012 and 2013 followed with 4,468, 3,708 and 3,571 cases respectively.

Managing Director of PPMC, Mr. Haruna Momoh, who stated this at the 2014 annual conference of the National Association of Energy Correspondents in Lagos, said activities of pipeline vandals in the country have led to the loss of 712, 776 cubic meters, M3, of Premium Motor Spirit, PMS, also known as petrol in the last four years.

Within the same period, he said the country lost 1,310,139 cubic meters of crude oil, 9,548M3 of Dual Purpose Kerosene‎, DPK, and 37,054M3 of Automated Gas Oil, AGO, also known as diesel.
The PPMC boss, who was represented at the event by Mr. Frank Amego, also stated that these activities ‎of economic saboteurs led to disruption of crude oil supply from Escravos to Warri and Port Harcourt refineries.

‎Momoh further explained that due to this problem the Federal Government had been forced to use marine vessels for crude oil deliveries to the refineries.
Other negative effect caused by‎ pipeline vandals, according to the PPMC, is the deterioration of refinery system as a result of idle time, loss of revenue to the government and the whole nation, product supply challenges due to refinery shutdowns, scarcity, and loss of lives and material resources from pipeline fire.

Environmentally, the PPMC boss stated that there has been damage to water aquifer, loss of arable lands through pollution, pollution of streams and rivers and the reduction of pipeline life span, all as a result of pipeline vandalism.

‎He noted that efforts have been made to manage and curtail the activities of pipeline vandals.
Those efforts, according to him, include the manning of pipeline network with community guards, vigilante groups, Nigeria Police, Nigeria army, JTF and special task forces which have yielded positive results.

Others includes involvement of agencies in the security of the pipelines such as Civil Defence Corps, AIG task force, DPO team, SSS, military, services of Operation Pulo Shield in the Niger Delta and the use o‎f Messer Sappers Engr. Ltd to grade the pipelines right of ways.