Gunmen on Monday killed four operatives of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps in Omoku, Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni Local Government Area of Rivers State.
The NSCDC operatives were said to be manning oil installations belonging to Nigeria Agip Oil Company in Omoku when the gunmen, clad in military camouflage, stormed the place and opened fired on them.
The state NSCDC Public Relations Officer, Mr. Michael Oguntuase, said in a statement on Tuesday that the operatives engaged the gunmen in a gun battle on realising that the intruders were not military men.
Others, who were injured during the attack, were taken to a hospital for treatment, even as the command vowed not to continue its effort against pipeline vandalism and illegal oil bunkering.
Speaking with Southern City News in Port Harcourt, the state Commandant of the corps, Mrs. Helen Amakiri, expressed sadness over the loss but added that the unfortunate incident would only encourage them to improve and work harder.
Amakiri said the incident, which occurred at about 6.40pm, was not unexpected, adding that the command had earlier, through intelligence gathering, got information that the Agip facility in Omoku was to come under attack.
She pointed out that signals were sent to the Joint Military Task Force for reinforcement and maintained that the NSCDC operatives had thought the presence of some men in camouflage within the place was a response to the call for reinforcement.
“Actually, it was not as if we did not know that there was a plan to attack because we got the intelligence like three days back and we were on red alert. We had even sent some signals to the JTF to help us reinforce and beef up security at that time.
“Our men were aware of this fact. So, when they saw unknown gunmen in military regalia, they thought they were operatives of the JTF. That was how they (gunmen) were able to get through to them and attacked them. Our men fought gallantly.
“Four of them died while some of them were wounded. They were very gallant indeed and they were doing the job the way it should be done.”
She told the bereaved families that NSCDC, Rivers State Command would share in their grief.
“We feel the sad loss and we pray that God Almighty will give the families the fortitude to bear the irreparable loss. It is something that just happened that we all are not happy about. We will leave no stone unturned to unravel the attackers,” she said.
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