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Gunmen suspected to be kidnappers have killed eight operatives of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in Edo State.
The personnel, attached to the BUA Cement Factory in Okpella, Etsako East Local Government Area, were attacked on Friday night while escorting expatriates from the plant.
A senior officer of the command confirmed the development, disclosing that one expatriate, a Chinese national, was abducted while four others were rescued.
He said four persons sustained injuries and were receiving treatment at an undisclosed hospital.
“Eight of our members were indeed killed by kidnappers, but a statement will be officially released later today in Abuja.
“The incident happened on Friday, August 5, 2025, at about 10 pm, when the officers were escorting five Chinese expatriates after a routine patrol at the company’s entrance,” the top official added.
NSCDC Commandant in Edo, Agun Gbenga, has since visited the crime scene as well as the hospital where the injured are receiving care.
Security agencies, it was gathered, have launched a joint operation to track down the perpetrators, combing surrounding forests.
The attack came barely hours after 16 passengers abducted along the Benin–Auchi highway were rescued by police and local vigilantes.
Edo Police Command spokesman, Moses Yamu, confirmed the rescue on Saturday.
He said: “The kidnapping took place on Friday at about 16:30 hrs. Sixteen of the victims have been rescued so far, as the search and rescue operation by the command in collaboration with vigilantes and hunters continues.”