Edo Train Attack: Retired police officer, nursing mother, 3 others ‘rescued’ – Newstrends
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Edo Train Attack: Retired police officer, nursing mother, 3 others ‘rescued’

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A retired police officer, a nursing mother and her baby, as well as two minors, have been rescued from among the 32 passengers abducted from Igueben train station, in Igueben Local Government Area of Edo State.

The victims were waiting to board a train to Warri in Delta State when they were abducted Saturday afternoon by gunmen.

Daily Trust gathered that the victims were rescued by a combined team of security agents including the local vigilante and hunters. It was also learnt that one of the kidnappers had been arrested by security operatives.

“Five persons have been rescued so far. The kidnappers were forced to release the minors who they felt couldn’t move fast due to the intensity of the security operatives, especially the hunters who were in the bush,” a source disclosed.

The spokesperson of the Edo State Police Command, SP Chidi Nwanbuzor, who also confirmed the rescue of the victims, said it was made possible in collaboration with other security agencies.

“Among the rescued victims by the security operatives were a retired police officer, a lady with a one-year-old child, a boy and a girl of three and six years old respectively but the whereabouts of their parents is yet unknown,” he said.

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He added that the police with other security agencies, the Edo state Security Network, vigilantes and hunters are still combing the bush to rescue the victim unhurt and further arrest the perpetrators.

However, a resident who pleaded anonymity faulted the claims that some victims were rescued, noting that it was the abductors that released them.

“We heard that the abductors dropped the children at a filling station and called their relatives to pick them up. How can you call that rescue? It is shameful that the security operatives were not alive to their responsibilities before the attack, especially after the Abuja-Kaduna train attack. This area is too deserted with no security measure in place but now, all the top brass of security formations in the state are at the station as if that will bring back the victims,” he queried. 

How station manager, passengers were abducted

Daily Trust gathered that the area where the incident took place is one of the flashpoints for criminal activities in the state. 

It was learnt that the abducted victims included the station manager, ticket clerk and other staff of Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) as well as passengers waiting to board the train at 5pm.

The abductors, it was gathered, struck about 20 minutes before the time when the train was expected to pick up passengers and depart the station. 

“This place (the train station) is in a bush. It is the station that has opened up the area. The abductors emerged from the bush, shooting sporadically before abducting their victims. There was no resistance because there is no security presence in the area. They took their time to march out their victims,” noted a resident of the area, Abilo Jeremiah.

Kidnapper arrested

Meanwhile, Edo State Commissioner for Communications and Orientation, Chris Nehikhare, said that security operatives had arrested one of the suspected kidnappers.

“After 32 persons were kidnapped, the police, vigilante, and local hunters swung into action, combing the bushes around the vicinity. One of the kidnapped victims was able to escape.

“The Edo State Deputy Governor, Philip Shaibu, has visited the scene of the attack for on-the-spot assessment and was told that one of the suspects was arrested and he has been helping the police with the investigation to arrest other fleeing members of the kidnapping gang,” he said during a press briefing in Benin, the state capital.

The attack came about nine months after bandits attacked an Abuja-Kaduna train, gunned down some passengers and abducted more than 60 others, who were released after ransom payment.

The attack led to the suspension of train service on the route.

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Service only resumed on December 5 after the remaining passengers were released.

Train service won’t be disrupted – NRC

Meanwhile, the Managing Director of the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC), Fidet Okhiria, has said the attack will not affect the Itapkpe-Warri train service.

He told our correspondent on the phone that the train service would continue but that additional security measures would be introduced.

Okhiria also clarified that there was no attack on the train but only the station was attacked.

One of our correspondents learnt that the Minister of Transportation, Mua’zu Sambo, had visited the affected train station in the early hours of Sunday.

A statement later issued by the Director, Press and Public Relations of the ministry, Henshaw Ogubike, said the federal government was making efforts to free the passengers.

 “The public is hereby reassured that the security agencies are making efforts to rescue the kidnapped train passengers. The Nigerian Police are on the trail of the criminals and have mobilised with a view to protecting the lives and property of the remaining passengers,” the statement read.

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200,000 repentant terrorists surrender, drop arms in North East – CDS

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Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa

200,000 repentant terrorists surrender, drop arms in North East – CDS

The Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa, has disclosed that about 200,000 repentant terrorists have so far dropped their arms and surrendered to troops in the North East, noting that the twin strategy of kinetic and non-kinetic operations was responsible for this achievement.

The CDS made this known at the Security and Justice Symposium organised by the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) in collaboration with the British High Commission, which began at the National Counterterrorism Centre in Abuja on Tuesday.

He disclosed that the theme of the symposium, ”Securing Peace, Ensuring Justice, Protection, Conduct, and Accountability,” speaks volumes about the deluge of security challenges the armed forces and security agencies are facing.

His words, “All the challenges we are facing today have to do with fairness, equity, justice, and accountability.

“There will not be peace without justice, equity, fairness, and accountability. In our operations, we are conducting both kinetic and non-kinetic strategies, which have to a large extent yielded significant successes, and we want to particularly thank the National Security Adviser for his great support in this regard.

“Nigeria is going through so many challenges, and we feel we’re able to address this, and everybody has a sense of belonging. A lot of the security challenges we are having, we are sure, will go down. I want to thank the National Security Advisor for all the support he’s given us, both the kinetic and the non-kinetic.

“We have said it; the kinetic aspect is just less than 30%. The non-kinetic has a lot to play. The non-kinetic, because when you have democracy, people must have the evidence of democracy. As long as it tells people to sleep well and be peaceful, and they are hungry, their children cannot eat, and all this creates more problems.

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“The issue of informants. We have to look at how we tackle this issue of informants. Because these are the people who have created the issue.

200,000 repentant terrorists surrender, drop arms in North East – CDS

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Robbers kill two members in shoot-out with Delta police

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Robbers kill two members in shoot-out with Delta police

The spokesperson for the police in Delta State, SP Bright Edafe, has confirmed the death of two robbery suspects in the state.

Mr Edafe, who disclosed this to journalists on Tuesday in Warri, said that the deceased were killed from the bullets shot by their gang members.

According to him, the incident occurred on Wednesday at Effurun, Uvwie Local Government Area of the state.

Mr Edafe explained that the deceased were leading the police surveillance team attached to the Ekpan Division to their hideout when they were caught during a shoot-out.

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“The suspects were arrested at Effurun roundabout with a bag containing 57 live cartridges and other items. They were leading the surveillance team to their hideout at Warri/Sapele road when their gang members, on sighting the vehicle of the police team, engaged them in a shootout.During the gun duel, the arrested suspects that were leading the police team were fatally wounded by the gun shot of their colleagues. The two injured suspects were taken to the hospital and later died while receiving treatment,” he said.

Mr Edafe said that items recovered from the hoodlums hideout included: one English pump action gun, one locally made cut-to-size gun and eight live cartridges.

Others were: six iPhones, Smart phones and a Rolex wrist watch.

He said that the command had intensified manhunt on the fleeing members of the gang.

 

Robbers kill two members in shoot-out with Delta police

(NAN)

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Akwa Ibom businessman abducted, driver killed, police orderly injured

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Dr. Samuel Ekerenam
Akwa Ibom businessman abducted, driver killed, police orderly injured
Gunmen kidnapped a prominent businessman, Dr. Samuel Ekerenam and k!lled his driver in Eket town, the headquarter of Eket Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State.
Ekerena, the owner of Hephzibah Mall, was abducted about 10:00pm on Saturday, 23 November, 2024.
It was gathered that the gunmen trailed the victim to the shopping complex, shooting sporadically to scare the passers-by away before whisking him away to an unknown destination.
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The body of Ekerenam’s driver was discovered in the pool of his blood, while his police orderly was severely wounded in the gun attack.
The spokesperson of the State Police Command, ASP Timfon John, who confirmed the incident on Monday, November 25, said the Commissioner of Police, CP Joseph Eribo has deployed tactical operatives to comb for the abducted businessman.
The PPRO added that the police were on top of the game and very soon the kidnap victim would be rescued and the perpetrators made to face the full weight of the law.

Akwa Ibom businessman abducted, driver killed, police orderly injured

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