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Just in: 12 victims of Edo train kidnap released, abductors still holding two
Twelve more victims of the Igueben train station kidnap in Edo State were on Saturday night rescued by a special force made of men from the Nigerian Army, the police, DSS, local vigilante, hunters, among others.
Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki, disclosed this to journalists shortly after visiting the victims at the Police Cottage Hospital in Benin City.
He also threatened to sanction traditional rulers in the area who are still giving their land to herdsmen for grazing.
The governor said no amount was paid for the release of the victims but that the special force went in and overpowered the kidnappers who ran away with the remaining two victims who are said to be personnel of the Nigerian Railway Corporation.
Obaseki said, “We are grateful that we have been able to secure the release of almost all the people who were kidnapped about a week ago from the Igueben train station in Edo State.
“It has been a very grueling experience; something we never prayed for and we hope that it would not happen again. They tested the will of our security system that we have put in place and we are so glad that the system has been resilient.
“In the last one week, we have been able to be on the trail of the kidnappers. We contained them to certain areas; they could not leave the area we contained them to and with all intelligence and the aerial support we got from the Air Force, from the police, the drone support, the technology support, we were able to track them and with the training of the special forces we have and all the other members of the team we put together, we were able to release 12 out of the 14 still being held hostage unarmed.
“We think it is something worth celebrating. We think we should thank and appreciate members of our security forces for the sacrifice they put in, the endless nights; the sleepless nights which they put into this must be commended.
“Today, which is the Armed Forces Remembrance Day, we have something to rejoice about, something to thank our security services for. We will continue to invest in the security system of the state, we will continue to encourage the collaboration of our security forces and we will make sure that we continue to invest in the requisite technology and equipment to curb this sort of incidence.”
The governor also said, “I must also express our disappointment at the authorities of the Nigerian Railway Corporation because after the Kaduna incident, you would have expected that they will secure their facilities better. So for six men to have come into their facility to kidnap almost 30 people; I think it is something that has to be investigated. It doesn’t speak well of their preparedness to run an efficient rail system in this country. And it doesn’t give confidence to Nigerians that they will be safe using that mode of transport. You cannot tell me in the facility like the Igueben station, you had only one policeman with one rifle guiding that facility particularly after what had happened in Kaduna.”
For the traditional institution in the area, Obaseki said, “We are watching and we are still consulting with the commissioner of police and the service chiefs. We have information that some traditional rulers in that area are not respecting government’s decision to make sure that grazing opportunities are not given to herders in their forests. I have instructed that those traditional rulers be investigated and anyone who is found to be harbouring people they should not harbour in their domains will have questions to answer because for communities that have cooperated, we are not seeing this kind of incident.
The Commissioner of Police, Muhammed Dankwara, said there were no casualties and that arrests had been made of people believed to be part of the syndicate to the kidnapping.
He said, “They were rescued in Ugboha and Udo forests. The security forces have been there for a week now and it was there they intercepted those people. From the intelligence gathered, they were roaming around that area. So yesterday night, the security forces laid ambush and in trying to move the people from one area to another, they intercepted them.
“For the remaining two captives, we are making progress and we will make sure that they are released too.”
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Gunmen kill two soldiers in Abia checkpoint attack
Gunmen kill two soldiers in Abia checkpoint attack
Early Wednesday morning, gunmen attacked an army checkpoint in Ekenobizi, a border community between Abia and Imo states, located in Umuopara, Umuahia South Local Government Area.
The assailants reportedly arrived around 6:18 a.m. in a white Lexus SUV (model 350/400) and launched an assault that resulted in the deaths of two soldiers.
A military source, who wished to remain anonymous, provided details of the incident but could not confirm the exact number of attackers involved.
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Confirming the incident in a press release on Wednesday, Lieutenant Colonel Jonah Unuakhalu of the Joint Task Force South East Operation UDO KA said: “In the early hours of today, 13 November 2024, troops of the Joint Task Force South East Operation UDO KA, deployed at a checkpoint along the Umuahia – Owerri Road in Umuahia South Local Government Area of Abia State, came under attack by the irredentist group Indigenous People of Biafra and its armed affiliate, the Eastern Security Network.
“During the attack, the gallant troops were able to repel the assault, forcing the attackers to retreat in disarray with gunshot wounds, abandoning one Sienna and one Lexus Jeep used in the attack. However, in the ensuing firefight, two soldiers paid the supreme price.”
The Joint Task Force appealed to residents of the South East, particularly those in Abia State, for credible information to help track down the fleeing attackers and combat criminal elements in the region.
The force reiterated its commitment to protecting lives and property in line with global best practices and the rules of engagement.
Gunmen kill two soldiers in Abia checkpoint attack
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94 arrested as task force raids Lagos rail corridor squatters
94 arrested as task force raids Lagos rail corridor squatters
At least 94 illegal occupants and squatters along the railway corridor from Pen Cinema to Fagba were arrested by the Lagos State Taskforce in an early morning sting operation on Wednesday.
During the raid, substances suspected to be hard drugs—such as Indian hemp, colorado, and other harmful drugs—were seized, along with various weapons.
It was gathered that those arrested attempted to resist the task force’s actions.
In a statement, Director of Public Affairs, Gbadeyan Abdulraheem, confirmed that those arrested will face prosecution.
He added that the agency dismantled shanties and makeshift structures along the railway corridor, clearing a distance of some kilometers.
The Taskforce Chairman Adetayo Akerele explained that the eviction aimed to provide relief for residents around the Fagba, Agege, and Pen Cinema railway routes, following numerous complaints from the public about criminal activities in the area.
He noted that the squatting had violated environmental and sanitary regulations.
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Akerele also highlighted the health and safety risks posed by the presence of squatters along the rail corridor.
He warned the evicted individuals not to return and assured residents and train passengers that regular patrols and surveillance would be conducted to prevent the re-establishment of shanties in the area.
“The rail tracks are not meant for habitation or the sale of narcotics. Anyone caught converting this place into a den of criminals or an area of residence will face severe consequences according to the law,” Akerele was quoted as saying.
Speaking on the raid, Commissioner for Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, disclosed that a locally fabricated short gun was recovered.
“94 suspects were arrested during the midnight operation; a locally fabricated short gun and several wraps of illicit substance suspected to be indian hemp, charm and a jack knife were recovered.
“The suspects will be charged to court accordingly,” Wahab stated in a post on X.
94 arrested as task force raids Lagos rail corridor squatters
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Okpebholo sacks all political appointees, Board executives in Edo
Okpebholo sacks all political appointees, Board executives in Edo
Governor Monday Okpebholo of Edo State has swept out all Board, Parastatal, and Agency appointees from his predecessor, Godwin Obaseki, in a decisive move to overhaul the state’s public service.
A statement released on Wednesday by the Governor’s Chief Press Secretary, Fred Itua, confirmed the immediate dismissal of all political appointees and Permanent Secretaries brought in from outside the state Civil Service.
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The statement reads:
“For the information of the general public, His Excellency, Senator Monday Okpebholo, Governor of Edo State, has approved the dissolution of Executives of all Boards, Agencies, and Parastatals in the Edo State Public Service with immediate effect.
“In addition, all Permanent Secretaries appointed from outside the State Public/Civil Service and all Political Appointees are hereby relieved of their appointments.”
Affected individuals have been directed to return all government property in their possession to the senior Public Officers in their respective Ministries, Departments, and Agencies.
Okpebholo sacks all political appointees, Board executives in Edo
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