In a shocking turn of events, seven officers of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) Commandant-general’s Critical Infrastructure Monitoring Team, have gone missing following a brutal ambush laid against them by suspected Boko Haram insurgents.
The incident occurred on Monday, November 18, in the Farin-Kasa area of Chukun LGA of Kaduna State, as the convoy was returning from a surveillance mission to a power installation site in neighbouring Niger State.
The NSCDC, in a statement signed by its national spokesperson, DCC Afolabi Babawale, said the NSCDC team, comprised of nine officers and 71 other ranks, was mobilised in response to recent attacks on power lines, a development that had led to a blackout due in norther part of Nigeria.
Acting on intelligence, they were deployed to assess damages and secure the facility against further vandalism.
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.
