Suspected Boko Haram insurgents on Monday ambushed a monitoring team of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in Kaduna State.
The NSCDC spokesman, Afolabi Babawale, said in a statement on Tuesday in Abuja the team operatives were returning from an inspection of the National Grid installation in Shiroro, Niger State when they came under attack in the Farin-Kasa area of Chukun Local Government Area of Kaduna State.
He said the team which comprised nine officers and 71 other ranks was mobilised following recent attacks on power lines in the northern part of the country.
The spokesman said: “As they patrolled vulnerable areas, they encountered stranded expatriates near Dagwachi Village and allowed them to join the convoy for safety.
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“Unknown to the team, over 200 armed Boko Haram militants had laid a deadly ambush from a hilltop, ready to unleash a torrent of gunfire on the unsuspecting convoy.
“Determined and resourceful, the NSCDC operatives fought back valiantly, managing to neutralise over 50 insurgents during the exchange.
“However, the chaos left seven officers unaccounted for, prompting an urgent search in the bush for their whereabouts. Those who sustained injuries are currently receiving medical treatment.”
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