30 missing in Edo station kidnap, kids freed, ‘Itakpe-Warri train operations not affected’

Managing Director, Nigerian Railway Corporation, Fidet Okhiria, has said the attack on Ekehen train station in the Igueben Local Government Area of Edo State will not affect the Itapkpe-Warri train service.

This came as indication emerged that over 30 persons including the train station manager were abducted Saturday evening by gunmen who attacked the station.

Okhiria told newsmen on Sunday that despite the attack, the Warri-Itakpe train service would continue operations, adding that additional security measures would be deployed.

He said investigation had commenced to ascertain the number of passengers involved and other details.

Some gunmen attacked the train station on Saturday evening and abducted scores of travellers who were waiting to board the train to Warri.

Minister of Transportation, Mua’zu Sambo, visited the affected train station in the early hours of Sunday to confirm the situation.

He condemned the attack on innocent citizens, describing it as despicable and utterly barbaric.

Meanwhile about 30 people including some personnel of the NRC are believed to have fallen victims of the Saturday’s kidnap.

Vanguard quoted the Liaison officer to the local government area, Best Oseh, as saying security agencies and paramilitary organisations were combing the forests in the area to get more clues.

He said, “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. 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.”

A resident of the area, Comrade Odia Benson, said the abductors released two kids who were with them while a woman reportedly escaped.

He said some workers of the NRC including the station manager and ticket clerk were among those abducted.

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

“As I speak with you, the Deputy Governor just 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 organisations’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 Igeueben town, just about 1.2km away from Igueben General Hospital.

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

Minister of Transportation, in a statement signed by his Director, Press and Public Relations, Henshaw Ogubike, assured Nigerians the security agencies were making efforts to ensure the rescue of all the kidnapped persons.

The statement read, “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 with a view to protecting 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.”