The Edo State Commandant of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Gbenga Agun, has spoken about the tragic killing of eight NSCDC operatives at Okpella, Edo State, last Friday night. In an exclusive interview, Commandant Agun described the incident as a “huge tragedy and a great loss, not only for the NSCDC but for the entire country, especially the security community.”

According to Agun, the operatives were on escort duty for Chinese nationals working at the BUA Cement Factory quarry when they were ambushed by criminals in a forest environment with difficult terrain. “There was little our men could do because it was already dark,” Agun said.

The commandant revealed that one Chinese national was abducted, while four other personnel and one civilian sustained varying degrees of injury. Four officers survived the attack, and those who were taken to the hospital are responding to treatment.

Agun stated that the NSCDC has launched an investigation and is working in strong synergy with other sister security agencies to get to the roots of the crime and bring all the perpetrators to justice. “We have already launched an investigation, and I must stress that we are beginning to get useful leads,” he said.

When asked if any group had claimed responsibility for the killings, Agun said no group had claimed responsibility, but findings suggest that the area has long been notorious as a criminal hideout. He also mentioned rivalry among landowners in the area over royalty payments as a possible factor behind the attack.

The commandant did not agree that the incident was due to outright intelligence failure, saying he did not receive any intelligence report prior to the sad event. However, he assured that the NSCDC is working to prevent future occurrences and to solidify security within and around the BUA premises.