KADUNA: Seven operatives of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) Commandant-general’s Critical Infrastructure Monitoring Team, have gone missing after a brutal ambush by suspected Boko Haram insurgents against them.
The attack happened on Monday, November 18, in the Farin-Kasa area of Chukun LGA of Kaduna State, when the convoy was returning from a surveillance mission to a power installation site in neighbouring Niger State.
The NSCDC, in a statement by its national spokesperson, DCC Afolabi Babawale, said the team, comprised of nine officers and 71 other ranks, was mobilised in response to attacks on power lines, a development that had led to a blackout recently in northern part of Nigeria.
The officers were deployed to assess damages and secure the facility against further vandalism.
The statement reads in part, “As they patrolled vulnerable areas, they encountered stranded expatriates near Dagwachi Village and allowed them to join the convoy for safety. Unbeknownst to the team, over 200 armed Boko Haram militants had laid a deadly ambush from a hilltop, ready to unleash a torrent of gunfire on the unsuspecting convoy.
“Determined and resourceful, the NSCDC operatives fought back valiantly, managing to neutralise over 50 insurgents during the exchange. However, the chaos left seven officers unaccounted for, prompting an urgent search in the bush for their whereabouts. Those who sustained injuries are currently receiving medical treatment.”
The statement explained that the NSCDC Commandant-general, Dr. Abubakar Ahmed Audi, condemned the attack, labelling it as a cowardly act against personnel committed to the nation’s defence.
He praised the courage and determination of the operatives, emphasising the Corps’ unwavering commitment to safeguarding critical national assets and infrastructure amid rising security challenges.
He also assured the public that as the search for the missing officers continued, they remained undeterred in the wake of such attacks, adding that their mission to fortify Nigeria’s power sector and ensure stable electricity supply remained steadfast.
