Eight personnel of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) have been killed and one Chinese expatriate abducted in a violent ambush by suspected kidnappers in Okpella, located in Etsako East Local Government Area of Edo State.
The incident occurred on Friday night, as the officers attached to the BUA Cement Company were providing escort for five Chinese workers returning from a routine patrol.
Sources told Daily Trust that the attackers, heavily armed and lying in wait near the company’s main gate, opened fire on the security team at around 10:00 pm, resulting in the deaths of eight NSCDC officials.
Four others, along with one civilian, sustained injuries and are currently receiving treatment at an undisclosed hospital.
Out of the five expatriates being escorted, four were rescued unhurt, while one was abducted and taken into the nearby forest by the assailants.
“Eight officers were killed, while five others, including a civilian, sustained injuries. One Chinese expatriate was abducted, while four others were rescued unhurt,” a senior NSCDC official confirmed.
The source added that a joint operation involving other security agencies has since been launched to search the surrounding forest, with the goal of rescuing the kidnapped expatriate and apprehending the perpetrators.
The Edo State Commandant of NSCDC, Gbenga Agun, reportedly visited both the scene of the attack and the hospital where injured personnel are being treated.
When contacted, the Public Relations Officer of the Edo NSCDC Command, Efosa Ogbebor, declined to comment on the incident, stating that an official statement would be released by the Corps’ national headquarters.
