NSCDC National Grid Monitoring Team Ambushed by Boko Haram in Kaduna

*50 insurgents killed, five operatives missingMichael Olugbode in Abuja

The national power grid monitoring team of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) around Shiroro local government area of Niger state has come under attack by suspected Boko Haram insurgents.
According to a statement by the spokesman of the NSCDC, Afolabi Babawale, the incident occurred at about 15.40 hours on Monday when the convoy of the special monitoring squad was ambushed at Farin-Kasa Area of Chikun local council in Kaduna state.
The convoy of the special monitoring squad comprised nine officers and 71 other ranks drawn from the Commandant General’s Special Intelligence Squad (CG-SIS), operatives, FCT Command and Kaduna State Command respectively,
They were said to be crossing from the Shiroro axis after the surveillance and monitoring oversight of the installations when the incident occurred.
Babawale recalled that the nation experienced total blackout recently due to the collapse of the national grid as a result of incessant attack on the facilities by bandits and vandalism of the installation by the same group of people,.
He said that this led to the setting up of the Special Monitoring Squad by the Commandant General (CG), Dr Ahmed Audi, to assess the state of damage, conduct surveillance activities and possibly arrest and bring perpetrators to book.
He 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.
According to him, they were returning from a mining site at Tutu area of  Niger state, before  joining the convoy in a bid to protect them through Farin- Kasa Area of Chikun local council in Kaduna.
He noted that unknown  to them, over 200 armed Boko Haram elements had laid ambush on a vengeful mission against security operatives who they claimed had been giving them problems.
From the top of a hill located at Farin-Kasa, the NSCDC said the insurgents  opened fire upon sighting the long convoy of the monitoring team using different sophisticated weapons.
He revealed that the combined NSCDC operatives in the ambush however, not overwhelmed by terrorists, repelled the attack and successfully neutralised over 50 of the terrorists in the crossfire.
 As at the time of filing this report, about seven operatives of the NSCDC, he said, are currently missing in action and efforts are currently underway to locate them in the bush.

According to Babawale, a few others who sustained various degrees of injuries are currently undergoing medical treatment in a medical facility.

Babawale said 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 terrorists or any group of saboteurs.

He revealed that 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.

He reiterated the Corps commitment to safeguarding all critical national assets and infrastructure without compromise.

Besides, he commended the courage, resilience and gallantry of the operatives in neutralising over 50 of the bandits despite the attack from the mountain top.