Suspected kidnappers ambushed a security convoy late Friday near BUA Cement’s Okpella plant in Etsako East, Edo State, killing eight operatives of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) and abducting Chinese expatriates, authorities said. Four of the Chinese workers were rescued while one remained missing as of Saturday.
The attack struck around 10–10:30 p.m. on Sept. 5 as NSCDC personnel escorted five expatriates back to base; gunmen opened fire near the company’s entrance and along the Okpella–Agenebode axis, according to officials and local outlets. Four NSCDC officers were also injured in the assault.
A firefight raged for about three hours before security forces secured four of the expatriates, the NSCDC said. A joint search-and-rescue operation for the missing worker continued on Saturday.
Local reports, citing NSCDC statements, said a civilian driver was also killed during the ambush. The agency has not issued a final casualty list beyond the eight officers.
NSCDC Commandant-General Ahmed Audi pledged full honours for the fallen and medical care for the wounded, and vowed a clampdown with sister agencies now combing nearby forests.
BUA Group issued condolences, saying it is cooperating with authorities following the attack at its Okpella facility.
Nigeria has seen an uptick in armed attacks and kidnappings for ransom in recent years, long concentrated in the north but increasingly affecting southern states.