The Edo State Police Command has reacted to the abduction of passengers at the train station in Igueben, headquarters of Igueben Local Government Area of Edo State.
The incident which occurred on Friday was reportedly perpetrated by unknown herdsmen as unspecified numbers of passengers waiting to board the train to Warri, Delta State were kidnapped to an unknown location.
While reacting to the incident, the Edo state police command confirmed that the gunmen, armed with AK-47 rifles, stormed the train station at about 4 pm on Saturday 7th January shot without caution and kidnapped an unspecified number of passengers who were waiting to board the train to Warri.
Nwabuzor, however, in the statement ɗisclosed that men of the Command alongside Personnel of Edo State Security Network had visited scene of the crime, adding that bush combing had commenced to rescue the victims.
The statement reads: “This is to inform the gentlemen of the press that today, 7th of January, 2023 at about 1600hrs, an unspecified number of Herdsmen armed with AK 47 rifles attacked the train station at Igueben, Edo State and kidnapped an unspecified number of passengers who were waiting to board the train to Warri.
“The kidnappers who shot sporadically into the air before kidnapping some passengers left some persons with bullet wounds.
“The Area Commander Irrua, DPO Igueben Division, and men have visited the scene of crime with members of Edo State Security Network, local vigilante, and hunters with a view to protecting the lives and property of the remaining passengers.
“Bush Combing operations have commenced in order to rescue the victims and arrest the fleeing kidnappers. Further development will be communicated.”
Recall that gunmen had on March 28, 2022, attacked a moving train headed to Kaduna from Abuja, killing some and abducting many other passengers.
They released most of them before the Nigerian government resumed operations along the Abuja-Kaduna train route in December 2022.
As of the time of filing this report, the Nigeria Railway Corporation (NRC) is yet to comment on the one too many incidents.
