The Managing Director (MD) and Chief Executive of the Nigeria Railway Corporation, Fidel Okhiria has confirmed that security agencies are on the trail of the abductors believed to be armed herdsmen.
The MD said Soldiers, Police and vigilantes are currently tracking the abductors of no fewer than 31 train passengers who were whisked away from the Tom Ikimi Train Station, Igueben, Edo State, on Saturday.
Among the victims are the Manager of the station, Godwin Okpe and head of security of the station, simply identified as Ikhayere and 29 passengers.
He said, “The police, vigilante and Army are all after the people in the bush; that’s all I can say. There are certain things that we need to clear before we issue a statement.”
The Force Public Relations Officer, Muyiwa Adejobi, also affirmed that efforts were ongoing to rescue the abductees.
“We will give necessary support to Edo State Police command and Railway Police Command on the rescue of the abducted victims; efforts are being intensified to rescue them and arrest the culprits,’’ he assured.
The incident is coming 10 months after bandits attacked the Abuja-Kaduna train service, killing 14 passengers and abducting 65 others. They were released after spending months in captivity and paying ransoms.
However, the Inspector-General of Police, Usman Baba, had dispatched police special squads, including the Intelligence Response Team and Anti-Terrorism Squad to Edo State to rescue the victims.
The squads, it was gathered, would complement the efforts of the police in the state.
Most of the victims, it was learnt, were from the South-South and South-East.
Passengers going to Benin, Warri, Agbor, Asaba, Port Harcourt, Yenagoa and Aba are known to patronise the train service.
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Edo commissioner
The Edo State Commissioner of Communication and Orientation, Chris Nehikhare, said one of the abducted victims escaped at 8.15pm on Saturday, noting that 31 others were still with their captors.
He also disclosed that a suspect had been taken into custody.
Nehikhare stated, “The kidnap is the most difficult occurrence in the state currently. Few armed men who came with vehicles at about 4pm started shooting indiscriminately at the Igueben train station, kidnapping 32 while many others were injured. They came with cars but took their victims into the bush on foot.
“The police, working with the vigilante and hunters, started combing the bush almost immediately and one suspect has been arrested and he is helping the police in their investigation.
“The Deputy Governor, Philip Shaibu visited the scene of the incident and we are sure that with a suspect apprehended, the investigation will lead to the arrest of others and the rescue of the victims.
“The state government commends the police for their prompt response while we also praise the vigilantes and hunters who took part in the bush combing operation. We hope this will be the last time occurrence like this will happen in the state.’’
But the managing director of the NRC said the corporation could not confirm the number of abducted people.
He stated, “We don’t know the number of persons abducted because when there is a stampede like that, you won’t know. It is not that they lined themselves up before they were carried. They would have taken some people that are not passengers. The only thing I can confirm is that they took two of our staff.”
The police spokesman for Edo State according to a report by AP, said the kidnappers “shot sporadically into the air” before taking the passengers, leaving some with bullet wounds. Nwabuzor said, “Rescue operations are underway to find the victims and arrest the abductors.”
Read Also:Nigerian Government condemns attack on train passengers in Edo State
Edo monarch
The Onogie of Igueben and Okaigun of Esanland, Ehizojie Eluojierior I, noted that the kidnapping of the train passengers had devastated the community.
He said, “The mood in the town is quiet…We are still trying to find out if our people were kidnapped or shot. Some people might probably be in the hospital but we are still trying to get details of what happened. No community member has come forward to complain about the kidnap of their family members.”
The Executive Director, Esan Youth for Good Governance and Social Justice, Benson Odia revealed that a woman escaped during the abduction, noting that the station manager and booking clerk were also missing.
Odia lamented that the attacks were being carried out with the connivance of the locals from Igueben and environ.
“At about 8.15 pm, a woman escaped and found herself in Okpoji in Esan Central and she was reunited with her family. The woman is not from Igueben, she came for a ceremony and was at the station to take the train back to her destination in Warri.
“These attacks have become incessant in Edo Central and it is becoming difficult to use the Federal roads. I will call on the state government to work with the Federal Government to site a military base in Esanland. We are aware that kidnappers have their camps in Igueben,” he added.
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