Operatives of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in Nasarawa State successfully repelled an attempted attack on their state command headquarters in Lafia by suspected bandits in the early hours of Monday.
The State Public Relations Officer of the NSCDC, Mr Jerry Victor, confirmed the incident in a telephone interview on Tuesday.
Mr Victor disclosed that an unspecified number of gunmen believed to be bandits, invaded the NSCDC headquarters. “The gunmen, who came in large numbers armed with iron rods, attempted to break some parts of the command’s fence to gain entry into the facility,” he explained. He further stated that some of the attackers positioned themselves around the building.
According to Mr Victor, the NSCDC operatives responded swiftly by opening fire on the assailants. “Their mission was to release some high-profile suspected criminals, including informants of kidnappers, in our custody,” he noted. The prompt response by the NSCDC operatives thwarted the attackers’ plans.
“No casualty was recorded during the gun battle between the attackers and our operatives,” Mr Victor confirmed. He added that calm had been restored following the incident, and security around the command had been heightened to prevent future occurrences.
The NSCDC spokesperson revealed that five notorious suspects were detained by the command for various crimes. Among them were two informants of the kidnappers involved in the abduction and subsequent killing of the 82-year-old father of Mr Daniel Umaru Lagi, a former state Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, after the payment of ransom.