By Usman Aliyu
Terror struck Edo State on Friday night as heavily armed gunmen ambushed and killed eight personnel of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) during a shocking assault on the BUA Cement Company in Okpella.
The attack, which occurred around 10:00 p.m., saw the unsuspecting security team walk straight into a hail of bullets.
The NSCDC operatives were escorting five Chinese expatriates back to base after a routine patrol when the attackers laid siege at the company’s entrance.
In the ensuing gunfire, eight NSCDC personnel and one civilian were cut down instantly, while four other officers sustained serious injuries and are now battling for their lives at an undisclosed hospital.
Amid the chaos, the assailants succeeded in abducting one of the expatriates. Four others narrowly escaped after being rescued in what sources described as a “swift response” from the Corps.
The fallen officers were members of the security detail assigned to protect the factory, which has long been considered a critical industrial hub in Edo State.
State Commandant of the NSCDC, Gbenga Agun, was said to have rushed to both the crime scene and the hospital treating the injured, in a bid to assess the carnage firsthand.
However, when pressed for comments, the Corps’ Public Relations Officer in Edo, Efosa Ogbebor, refused to give details, insisting that only the national headquarters would release an official statement.
