Gunmen Kidnap Passengers at Igueben Train Station in Edo

By Aduragbemi Omiyale

Some passengers were on Saturday evening attacked and kidnapped by yet-to-be-identified gunmen at the Igueben train station in Edo State.

It was gathered that the unfortunate incident occurred as the train was planning to ferry passengers to Warri in the neighbouring Delta State.

This is coming almost a year after some terrorists carried out a fatal attack on a train carrying passengers from Kaduna to Abuja, the nation’s capital, running away with some of the passengers, who were later released several months after.

Train services on the route were suspended by the federal government through the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) and only resumed last month after all the abducted persons were freed by the bandits.

In a statement, the spokesman of the Edo Police Command, Mr Chidi Nwabuzor, said scores of the passengers were taken away by the armed hoodlums.

“This is to inform the gentlemen of the press that today, January 7, 2023, at about 1600hrs, an unspecified number of herdsmen armed with AK 47 riffles 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 the crime with members of the Edo State Security Network, local vigilantes, 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 developments will be communicated,” Mr Nwabuzor said in the statement.