Pix: NSCDC CG, Professor Ahmed Abubakar Audi

The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) has been thrown into mourning following the brutal killing of eight of its operatives in Edo State.

In response, the Commandant General of the Corps, Professor Ahmed Abubakar Audi, has ordered the immediate deployment of Special Tactical Squads with a mandate to rescue the kidnapped Chinese expatriate and apprehend the perpetrators responsible for the killings.

The personnel were ambushed on the night of Friday, September 5, 2025, while providing security for critical infrastructure and safeguarding lives and property at the BUA Cement Company in Okpella, Etsako East Local Government Area.

According to eyewitnesses, the gallant operatives engaged the attackers in a fierce three-hour gun battle, successfully rescuing four expatriates working at the company’s quarry section. Tragically, eight officers lost their lives in the exchange.

Prof. Audi, while commending the courage and sacrifice of the fallen officers, vowed that their deaths would not be in vain. He disclosed that a joint operation involving other security agencies, along with the NSCDC Counter Terrorism Unit (CTU), Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT), Special Protection Units, and the Commandant General’s Special Intelligence Squad led by CC Dandaura Appollos JP, has been launched to comb the forests, arrest the culprits, and secure the release of the kidnapped expatriate.

The Commandant General also assured that security around the BUA facility has been strengthened to ensure maximum protection of both expatriates, indigenous workers, and other critical assets.

“The Corps will not be intimidated or deterred by the actions of subversive elements behind this heinous attack. Instead, we will remain focused, re-strategize, and carry out our statutory mandate with renewed determination,” he stated.

He further emphasized that the NSCDC will continue to adopt community engagement and other non-kinetic approaches in addressing security challenges and preventing crises in the area.