Gunmen have killed four operatives of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in Omoku, Ogba-Egbemandoni Local Government Area of Rivers State.
The NSCDC operatives were said to be manning Nigeria Agip Oil Company in the Niger Delta community when the gunmen dressed in military camouflage stormed the place and opened fire on them.
The public relations officer of the NSCDC, Mr Micheal Oguntuase, who confirmed the incident in a statement, said it occurred on Monday evening at about 6:40 a.m. local time.
According to him, operatives of the NSCDC had engaged the gunmen in a fierce gun battle on realising that they were not military men.
“Others who were injured in the attack had been taken to a hospital for treatment,” he said.
Despite the attack, however, he reaffirmed the corps commitment to tackling pipeline vandalism and other forms of criminality around oil facilities.
The State Commandant of the Corps, Helen Amakiri, who also lamented the loss of her operatives, hinted that earlier intelligence report had suggested that the facility was going to be under attack.
She said that the agency had sent a message to the Joint Task Force for reinforcement.
According to her, when the gunmen dressed in military camouflage arrived, the operatives had thought they were sent in response to the reinforcement request.
Mrs Amakiri said the NSCDC would stop at nothing to unravel the masterminds of the attack.
She further urged the operatives of the corps to redouble their efforts in the fight against vandalism and illegal dealings in oil business in the state and stressed her resolve to stamp out all forms of illegal dealings in the oil business and every act capable of frustrating government policies in the state.
She further warned that the NSCDC would not condone further attack on its personnel and promised that the gunmen would not go unpunished as full scale investigation has commenced on the matter.