Seven members of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) Critical Infrastructure Monitoring Team, led by the Commandant-general, have disappeared after being ambushed by suspected Boko Haram insurgents, SAVANNAH NEWSNOW REPORTS.
The ambush took place on Monday, November 18, in the Farin-Kasa area of Chukun LGA, Kaduna State, as they were returning from a reconnaissance mission to a power installation site in Niger State.
The NSCDC, in a statement by its national spokesperson DCC Afolabi Babawale, revealed that the team of nine officers and 71 other ranks was dispatched following recent attacks on power lines, which resulted in a blackout in the northern part of Nigeria.
They were tasked with assessing the damage and securing the facility against further attacks based on intelligence received.
The statement explained that “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.”
Afolabi further said: “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.”
He said, the NSCDC Commandant-general, Dr. Abubakar Ahmed Audi, has 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 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.
