ABUJA: A special squad of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps NSCDC on Monday neutralized at least, 59 bandits who had ambushed them in Kaduna state shortly after conducting a patrol of the national grid installation in Shiroro local government area of Niger state.

It was gathered that the incident occurred at about 3:40 pm when the convoy of the special monitoring squad comprising of nine Officers and 71 other ranks drawn from the Commandant General Special Intelligence Squad (CG SIS), operatives, FCT Command and Kaduna State Command respectively, were ambushed at Farin- Kasa Area of Chukun LGA in Kaduna State.

Confirming the incident, Corps Public Relations Officer, Babawale Afolabi said seven personnel of the Corps were still “missing in action” as of the time of filing this report.

He said the team was crossing from the Shiroro axis after the surveillance of the installations.

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Recall that the nation experienced total blackout recently due to the incessant collapse of the National Grid as a result of continuous attacks on the facilities by bandits, a development which led to the setting up of the Special Monitoring Squad by the Commandant General, Dr Ahmed Abubakar Audi.

The squad is to assess the state of damage, conduct surveillance activities and possibly arrest and bring perpetrators to book.

Afolabi said; “The combined team which embarked on patrol of the National Grid Installation from Shiroro along some flash points and vulnerable areas, however came across some stranded expatriates in the bush around Dagwachi Village axis returning from a mining site at Tutu area of Niger state, that joined the convoy in a bid to protect them through Farin- Kasa Area of Chukun LGA in Kaduna.

“Unknown to them, over 200 dreaded armed boko haram elements had laid ambushed on a vengeful mission against security operatives who they claimed had been giving them problems. And from the top of a hill located at Farin-Kasa, they opened fire upon sighting the long convoy of the NSCDC monitoring team using different sophisticated weapons.

“The Combined NSCDC operatives in the ambush however, not overwhelmed by terrorists, repelled the attack and successfully neutralized over 50 of the terrorists in the crossfire. As at the time of filling this report, about 7 operatives of the NSCDC are currently missing in action and efforts are currently underway to locate them in the bush, while a few others who sustained various degrees of Injuries are currently undergoing medical treatment in a Medical facility.

“The NSCDC as the leading agency in the protection of critical national assets and infrastructure will not be cowed or deterred by any attack by terrorist or any group of saboteurs trying to sabotage the efforts of government towards actualizing the renewed hope agenda of Mr. president in ensuring the revival of the power sector for a stable electricity supply nationwide.

“In the meantime, the Commandant General while awaiting the full brief on the incident from the officers on the field described the attack on NSCDC personnel as callous, unfortunate and an attack too many on security operatives who have sworn to the defence of the country”.