By Sesi Noah BENIN CITY – Violence rocked parts of Edo State over the weekend as armed men carried out multiple deadly attacks. Late Friday...
By Sesi Noah
BENIN CITY – Violence rocked parts of Edo State over the weekend as armed men carried out multiple deadly attacks.
Late Friday night in Okpella, Etsako East Local Government Area, suspected kidnappers opened fire on operatives of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) who were guarding expatriates at the BUA Cement site. Eight officers and one civilian were killed in the shootout. The attackers reportedly targeted five foreign workers—four were rescued, while one Chinese national was taken away by the gunmen. Several injured officers are currently receiving treatment.
A source said the assailants had laid ambush at the company’s entrance and engaged security agents in a fierce gun battle before escaping into the forest with their captive. Edo NSCDC Commandant, Agun Gbenga, has since visited both the crime scene and the hospital where the wounded are being treated.
In a separate incident earlier that same Friday evening, passengers of an 18-seater state-owned New Edo Line bus and a Toyota Corolla were abducted along the Benin–Akure highway. The police later confirmed that 16 of the kidnapped victims had been rescued, with joint security teams, hunters, and vigilantes still combing the area for the remaining hostages.
Police spokesperson, Moses Yamu, said the incident happened around 4:30 p.m. on Friday, adding that rescue operations are still ongoing.
Meanwhile, reports also indicate that a Catholic priest was among those kidnapped in the series of attacks, heightening fears about rising insecurity in the state.
Photo credit: Vanguard News
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