Civil Defense Corps killed in shootout with Armed robbers

An operative of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corps (NSCDC) attached to Bay­elsa Command and a sus­pected armed robber have died in a gun battle.NAN reports indicated that the incident took place along Kolo Creek road in Ogbia Local Govern­ment Area of the state on Wednesday.The Commandant of NSCDC in the state, Mr Desmond Agu, confirmed the incident on Thursday and said that armed rob­bers laid ambush for a pa­trol van of the Corps and killed one of the operatives.He, however, praised his men for fighting back and overpowering the robbers with their superior gunfire resulting in the killing of one of the hoodlums and recovery of a riffle from the dead robbery suspect.Agu said the Command had handed over the riffle and the corpse of the rob­ber to the state Police Com­mand.The armed robbers, ac­cording to an eye witness who preferred anonym­ity laid ambush for the Defenders after allegedly attacking a security check­point along the road earlier.“When they escaped from the scene, they sight­ed a security patrol van manned by operatives of the NSCDC and hid in the bush.“When the van ap­proached, they opened fireon it, killing one of the Corps operatives.”But the operatives fired back at the hoodlums and shot one of the armed rob­berswhile others escaped”, the witness said.