The Civil Defence, Correctional, Fire and Immigration Services Board (CDCFIB) has confirmed the killing of eight operatives of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in a prolonged gun battle with armed kidnappers in Edo State.
The attack, which lasted for over three hours, occurred on Friday, September 5, when gunmen launched a violent assault on NSCDC personnel attached to BUA Cement Company, Okpella, in Etsako East Local Government Area. The operatives were reportedly on routine patrol to safeguard Chinese expatriates working at the facility when the assailants struck.
According to official confirmation, of the five expatriates present at the factory, four escaped unharmed, while one remains missing. Efforts are ongoing to trace and rescue him.
Hon. Joseph Ayegbeni Ugheoke, Executive Director of Commercial and Environmental Development at the South-South Development Commission (SSDC), expressed deep sorrow at the incident. In a statement, he described the killings as a national tragedy.
“My heart is heavy as I mourn the brutal killing of gallant officers of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps by kidnappers in Edo State,” he said.
“This tragedy is not just a loss to their families, but to our entire security system and the communities now living under the shadow of criminal violence. If those who defend us are not safe, then our people remain vulnerable.”
Ugheoke reiterated his call for urgent federal intervention in Edo North, noting that he and SSDC Managing Director, Ms Usoro Akpabio, had recently appealed to the Inspector General of Police for stronger security measures in the region.
He pledged continued collaboration with state and federal security agencies to ensure the sacrifices of the fallen officers were not in vain, adding:
“We need stronger, coordinated action to protect our communities, restore confidence, and secure livelihoods.”
Meanwhile, concerns have been raised over the Edo State Government’s silence more than 24 hours after the bloody incidents. On the same day as the Okpella attack, passengers in a New Edo Line Transport Company bus were abducted along the Sobe–Afuze–Auchi road in Owan West Local Government Area, while a Chinese expatriate was kidnapped from the BUA cement facility later that evening.
 has confirmed the killing of eight operatives of the Nigeria Se){kind=link}