NSCDC goes after Edo kidnappers, deploys tactical squad to rescue Chinese national

The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps has deployed a tactical squad to Edo State after eight of its operatives were killed and a Chinese expatriate abducted during a violent ambush in Okpella, Etsako East Local Government Area.

In a statement issued on Tuesday, the corps’ spokesperson, Afolabi Babawale, said the Commandant General, Professor Ahmed Audi, directed the immediate deployment of elite units to rescue the kidnapped worker and ensure those behind the assault face justice.

The attack occurred on Friday night, September 5, 2025, when NSCDC personnel on duty at BUA Cement Company came under heavy fire while protecting critical infrastructure. Witnesses said the officers fought a fierce gun battle that lasted three hours. Despite losing eight personnel, they managed to rescue four expatriates working in the quarry section at the time.

Professor Audi mourned the fallen operatives, praising their bravery and sacrifice. He ordered an intelligence-led operation headed by Commandant CC Dandaura Appollos and reinforced with the Counter Terrorism Unit, Special Weapons and Tactics, and Special Protection teams.

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The tactical units were given, in the statement’s words, “an express order to effect possible arrest, rescue the kidnapped expatriate, and consequently bring the perpetrators to book,” while urging the public to provide any useful information to aid the search.

Audi assured that security around BUA facilities had been strengthened to safeguard both local staff and foreign workers.

“The corps will not succumb to any form of threats or be deterred by the activities of subversive elements and evil perpetrators who carried out the heinous attack, but rather be focused and re-strategise in discharging its statutory mandates,” he declared.

He further stressed the importance of community engagement, noting that the corps remains committed to combining civil relations with non-kinetic strategies to address security threats in the region.

The latest attack comes less than a year after NSCDC personnel were ambushed by Boko Haram insurgents in Niger and Kaduna States in November 2024.