|By Adejumo Adekunle
Operatives of the Federal Criminal Investigation Department (FCID), Abuja, have arrested the President-General of Oviri-Olomu Community in Ughelli South Local Government Area of Delta State, Engr. Peter Teme Arumala, over his alleged role in the vandalisation and theft of the 16-inch South Forcados Oil Delivery Pipeline owned by the Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC).
Police sources confirmed that the arrest forms part of an ongoing investigation into the alleged sabotage of the major oil infrastructure, which runs across approximately 35.293 hectares of land traversing Oviri-Olomu Community.
Investigators have also launched a manhunt for eleven other suspects said to be members of the community’s executive council. The suspects reportedly fled the area and have gone into hiding to evade arrest.
Arumala was apprehended on Monday, February 9, 2026, at a court premises in Orerokpe Community, Okpe Local Government Area. He had reportedly attended the court for an unrelated matter when security operatives swooped on him.
Following his arrest, he was first taken to the Orerokpe Police Division, then moved to Ovwian Division before being transferred to Abuja for further interrogation and possible prosecution.
A prominent community leader, Peter Edariese, confirmed the development during a press conference in Udu Local Government Area. Edariese, who is the immediate past Chairman of the Delta State branch of the Committee for the Defence of Human Rights (CDHR), said the arrest followed a petition he submitted to the office of the Inspector-General of Police in 2019.
According to him, Arumala is currently in custody at the Force Headquarters in Abuja in connection with the alleged pipeline vandalism.
Edariese commended security agencies for what he described as a decisive step toward accountability and urged them to conduct a thorough investigation to ensure that all those implicated face justice.
He stressed that holding perpetrators accountable would free the community from economic sabotage and systemic deprivation, arguing that continued vandalism of oil assets has deepened poverty and underdevelopment in Oviri-Olomu despite its oil wealth.
The 16-inch South Forcados Oil Delivery Pipeline is a critical crude evacuation line within the Niger Delta oil network, and repeated attacks on such infrastructure have historically disrupted production, triggered environmental concerns, and intensified security operations in the region.
As investigations continue, residents await further police action, particularly regarding the remaining suspects now at large.
