Olusegun Olanrewaju
No fewer than 32 passengers, including members of staff of the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC), have been confirmed as victims in Saturday’s kidnap by gunmen at the Igueben train substation in Edo State.

Confirming the incident yesterday, the Edo State Police Command said the gunmen, who were armed with AK-47 rifles, stormed the train station at about 4pm on Saturday (January 7) shooting sporadically and kidnapped an unspecified number of passengers waiting to board the train to Warri.

The Area Commander Irrua, the Divisional Police Officer of Igueben Division, and other men of the police, the report said, have visited the scene of the crime with members of Edo State Security Network, local vigilantes, and hunters.

According to the police, bush combing operations have commenced to rescue the victims and arrest the fleeing kidnappers.

Earlier, Chidi Nwabuzor, Edo State Police Command Public Relations Officer (PPRO), who broke the news of the kidnap, said that the abductors were herdsmen, who invaded the train station with AK-47 assault rifles.

Among the 32 persons kidnapped by the gunmen, who are suspected to be herdsmen, were the train station manager, Godwin Okpe, the Head of Security, identified simply as Ikhayere, an Igueben community resident, Victor Osarobho and the station ticket clerk, identified as Akhere.

The Edo State Government yesterday announced that one suspect had been arrested in connection with the Saturday evening adduction of train passengers at Igueben by suspected herdsmen.

Addressing a press conference, the state Commissioner for Communication and Orientation, Chris Nehikhare, described the incident as the most trying for the state government.

Nehikhare, who disclosed that immediately the abduction occurred, the state’s security apparatus swung into action, added that the efforts had yielded a result as one of the suspected kidnappers was arrested and was helping the police in unravelling the incident.

“Yesterday is no doubt one of the most trying days so far in the New Year for us as a government. A few armed men kidnapped 32 people at the Igueben train station. The deputy governor, Comrade Philip Shaibu, has visited the train station for the spot assessment of the situation.

The abductors, some of whom came by vehicles and the others by the bush paths, escaped into the bush with the victims.

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*One kidnapper arrested

Immediately the news filtered in, the police in the area, local vigilantes and hunters swung into action and bush combing began to rescue the victims.

“Information at our disposal is to the effect that of the 32 people kidnapped, one escaped and we have 31 others with the kidnappers.

“The good news for us as a government is that one of the kidnappers has been arrested and he is helping the police to unravel the whole thing.

“The state government under the leadership of Governor Godwin Obaseki wants to commend the swiftness with which the police swung into action. We also want to commend the Edo State Vigilante Group and the local hunters in the area for their efforts so far at rescuing the remaining victims.

“As a government, we hope too that this will be the last time we will have daring people invading our train stations, and particularly, any part of Edo State, as we will make such daring elements uncomfortable and secure our state.

“We want to assure the security agencies and the local hunters and vigilantes that the Edo State Government will continue to support them as efforts are being made to rescue the remaining 31 victims,” Nehikhare assured.

*Search ongoing

The Liaison officer in the area, Best Oseh, said security agencies and paramilitary organisations are still combing the forests to get clues.

“As I speak, people are in the field all over the place, vigilantes, security agencies, and other people, everybody is concerned but we have to be careful with what we divulge so that we won’t jeopardize the processes we are doing.

“As for the category of people kidnapped, some of them are from Igueben while others are passengers from other places and as for the number for now, we are looking at over 30 but we can only give a comprehensive number when preliminary investigations are concluded,” he added.

A resident of the area, Odia Benson, who gave more information on the development, said the abductors released two kids who were with them while a woman reportedly escaped, adding that some members of staff of the NRC, including the station manager and ticket clerk, were among those abducted.

He said, “The train normally arrives by 5pm so at about 20 minutes to 5, bandits just came through the bush part and invaded the place, they took away the station manager, took away the booking clerk, and about 29 other passengers made up of males and females.

“As I speak with you, the Deputy Governor left the place about an hour ago, the Commissioner of Police and his men are here, the 4 Brigade Nigerian Army Commander is here, the Director of the Department of State Services (DSS) is here and many paramilitary representatives: the DPO Igueben and his men, the Esan Akatakpa Security network, the hunters’ association have been in the forest since last night doing bush combing. We are hoping that by the end of today, they will be rescued.”

“The railway station is in the forest, there is no security, no police, no vigilante, and they are at the mercy of God. The station is in Igueben town, just about 1.2 km away from Igueben General Hospital. I think only three of the victims are from Igueben; one of them is from Ward 8, we had another who is married to an Igueben man but based in Warri while others are from Ekpoma, from Uromi, Ubiaja, some are not even from Edo State

“The kidnappers released two children; it is believed that they felt the children would slow down their movements. They dropped them at an abandoned petrol station, they called the family of the mother of the children and said that they should go and pick up the children from the place they dropped them off. One woman also escaped with her baby. The woman escaped and found herself in Opoji which is in Esan Central local government area,” he added.

*Kidnappers contact families for ransoms

Meanwhile, the Edo State Police Command said the gunmen, who invaded the train station over the weekend have started making contact with the families of some of their victims.

The Command’s PPRO, Nwabuzor, disclosed that the family of one of the kidnapped victims was at the police station to report that the kidnappers contacted them to pick up some of their relatives earlier kidnapped.

He said though, on getting to the said place and waiting for several hours the family members could not receive their loved ones as agreed by the kidnappers

The Police Commissioner, Mohamed Dankwara in the company of other security agencies has been to the scene of the incident.

Meanwhile, the traditional rulers of Igueben, HRH Ehizojie Eluojierior I, Onogie of Igueben, and Okaigun of Esanland, described the incident as appalling, adding that the entire community was thrown into “unwanted silence” as the people were yet to come to test with the kidnap.

Onogie Eluojierior, who confirmed the incident, added that many such incidents had taken place without being reported in the media.

“The mood in the town is quiet as well as activated because the police, vigilantes, and hunters are working together on the issue. They combed the bush till midnight on Saturday and resumed yesterday morning.

“I hear there has been a similar attempt in Delta State by bandits from other parts of the country, which was repelled. The attack took everyone by surprise and it happened at about 4pm when the train was being expected,” the Onogie said.

*FG condemns kidnapping incident

The Federal Government has described the kidnapping of train passengers at Tom Ikimi Train Station, Igueben in Edo as despicable and utterly barbaric.

The Director of Press and Public Relations, Ministry of Transportation, Mr Henshaw Ogubike, said this in a statement yesterday in Abuja.

”The Public is hereby reassured that the security agencies are making efforts to rescue the kidnapped train passengers.

”The Nigeria Police is on the trail of the criminals and have mobilised to protect the lives and property of the remaining passengers.

”The government is saddened by this unpleasant development and assures of its prompt response to the ugly situation.

”Further details will be communicated later,” Ogubike stated.