Gunmen suspected to be kidnappers launched a deadly assault on security operatives in Edo State on Friday night, leaving eight personnel of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) dead. The officers were on escort duty for expatriates working at the BUA Cement Factory in Okpella, Etsako East Local Government Area.
According to a senior officer who spoke under anonymity, the armed assailants struck around 10:00 p.m. on August 5, 2025, targeting a team of operatives returning from routine patrol duties. “Eight of our members were indeed killed by kidnappers, but a statement will be officially released later today in Abuja,” the officer said.
The attackers kidnapped one expatriate, identified as a Chinese national, while four other foreign workers narrowly escaped after being rescued during the chaos. In the aftermath, four other persons sustained varying degrees of injuries and are receiving treatment at an undisclosed medical facility.
The Edo State NSCDC Commandant, Agun Gbenga, visited both the crime scene and the hospital where the injured victims were being stabilized. okay.ng reports that joint security operatives, including the police, have launched coordinated operations to track down the perpetrators believed to be hiding in nearby forests.
In a related development, police authorities in Edo confirmed the successful rescue of 16 passengers abducted along the Benin-Auchi expressway on the same day. The victims, who were heading to Abuja, were intercepted and forced into the bush before a combined force of police officers, hunters, and vigilantes rescued them.
Moses Yamu, spokesperson for the Edo State Police Command, 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.”
These twin attacks have further highlighted the worsening security challenges in Edo State, where kidnappings and violent crimes have surged in recent months. Authorities say intelligence-led operations will continue until the culprits are arrested and calm is restored.
