A routine intervention turned tragic on Thursday at Oke-Ala in Oba-Ile, Akure North Local Government Area of Ondo State, after a personnel of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps was fatally stabbed by a mentally unstable youth he was attempting to restrain.
Residents told our reporter that the suspect’s mother had sought the help of two NSCDC operatives to subdue her son, whose long-standing mental instability had caused persistent disturbances in the neighbourhood.
Trouble reportedly broke out as the officers tried to chain the young man to curb his aggressive outbursts. In the ensuing struggle, the youth allegedly overpowered one of the operatives, snatched his knife and stabbed him multiple times.
“The boy just turned violent. He wrestled the knife from the officer and kept stabbing him,” an eyewitness said, adding that the incident left many residents horrified. “It was shocking because the officer was armed, yet he couldn’t stop it.”
The victim was rushed to a nearby hospital but was pronounced dead shortly after due to the severity of the injuries.
Confirming the incident, the NSCDC spokesperson in Ondo State, DSC Daniel Aidamenbor, said the officers were attempting to restrain the suspect with the intention of taking him to a psychiatric facility for urgent medical attention.
He described the attack as a tragic twist that occurred in the line of duty while trying to protect both the unstable youth and members of the community.
As of press time, details surrounding the incident remained sketchy as investigations continued.