Two more kidnapped victims of Edo train station attack rescued – Newstrends
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Two more kidnapped victims of Edo train station attack rescued

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The Edo government says

Two more persons among those kidnapped during the attack on a train station in the Edo State have been rescued, the state government said on Friday.

Edo State Commissioner for Communication and Orientation, Christopher Nehikhare, disclosed this while speaking with journalists.

The commissioner said earlier that seven of those abducted had been rescued.

Gunmen on January 7 kidnapped the people from a train station in the Igueben LGA, Edo State.

The abductees were waiting to board a train from the Igueben station to Warri in Delta State when the incident occurred.

Nehikhare on Wednesday said intelligence report showed that 20 persons were kidnapped from the train station.

Speaking on Friday, the commissioner said two more victims were rescued on Thursday.

“I’m pleased to report that two more victims have been rescued from the Igueben train station issue. They were rescued in the early hours of yesterday,” the commissioner said.

He added, “The operation is still ongoing, and we will also like to reassure the Edo people that we are going to make Edo state very uncomfortable for kidnappers or bandits or whatever nomenclature they want to go by.

“We will not allow them to have a camp here in Edo. You can see the swiftness with which we have been reacting to their operation, and you can see the successes we have been recording so far.”

Speaking further, the commissioner denied media reports that a police officer was killed during the rescue of Precious Aigbonoga, president of the Igueben area customary court.

Aigbonoga was kidnapped on Monday while on her way to Igueben LGA, and was rescued on Thursday.

Nehikhare said the police officer, who he identified as Adam Michael, was not shot during the rescue operation, adding the officer died due to “natural causes” after the rescue operation.

“We’ve had the rescue of the magistrate of a customary court that was kidnapped a few days ago, by our gallant police officers after a great job was done,” he said.

“Unfortunately, the release led to the death of one of our very gallant officers, DSP Adam Michael, who is from Bayelsa state, married with two daughters, and was attached to the anti-kidnapping squad. He was just 34 years old.

“I was disturbed when I read that DSP Adam fell by a bullet during the crossfire. But I’m here to correct that impression. That’s not true.

“He was one of those that went for the operation. After a successful operation, he died through natural causes. He was not shot by a bullet. There is no bullet wound on him, and he didn’t even die at the scene of the operation.”

Railway

NRC increases trips on Abuja-Kaduna route from four to six 

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NRC increases trips on Abuja-Kaduna route from four to six 

 

The Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) has announced an increase in the number of trains on its Abuja-Kaduna Train Service (AKTS) route in response to rising demand based on its customer feedback.

A statement signed by the NRC Deputy Director of Public Relations, Yakub Mahmood, on Wednesday, said the number of trains had been increased to six from four, running Monday to Friday during peak periods.

This development, it added, aimed to enhance customer satisfaction by making commuting more convenient and accessible on the route as well as tackling complaints of ticket racketeering.

The statement quoted the acting Managing Director of the NRC, Ben Iloanusi, as saying that a five-month trend analysis revealed a 22 per cent increase in new passengers registering on the ticketing platform for the Abuja-Kaduna route.

The surge, he said, showed a growing preference among Nigerians for train travel as a comfortable, reliable, and safe commuting option.

The statement read, “The Nigerian Railway Corporation, reaffirming its commitment to responding to customer demands, improving customer satisfaction, and tackling complaints of ticket racketeering, has increased the number of train services from four to six from Monday to Friday when demand tends to peak on its AKTS route.”

The NRC also noted that similar trends had been observed on the Lagos-Ibadan, Warri-Itakpe, and Port Harcourt-Aba routes, with efforts already underway to enhance services along these routes as well.

The acting MD assured Nigerians of the increased presence of NRC senior management across all train service routes to drive continuous efficiency and tackle the issue of ticket racketeering head-on.

“Our valued customers are encouraged to use NRC ticket platforms online to take advantage of the increased services and avoid patronising ticket racketeers.

“Additional information can be obtained from the NRC website, www.nrc.gov.ng,” it stated.

The expanded services on the Abuja-Kaduna route, it said, followed similar enhancements on the Lagos-Ibadan route, which now includes additional trips on Fridays and Saturdays to accommodate increasing demand.

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Nigerian railway adds extra train to Friday, Saturday trips on Lagos-Ibadan route

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Nigerian railway adds extra train to Friday, Saturday trips on Lagos-Ibadan route

The Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) has announced the introduction of additional train trips on its Lagos-Ibadan Train Service (LITS) route, exclusively for Fridays and Saturdays.

This initiative increases weekend trips from two to three, offering commuters greater travel flexibility.

The announcement, made via the NRC’s official X (formerly Twitter) handle on Tuesday, revealed that the new Lagos-to-Ibadan trip will depart at 1:40 pm, complementing the existing schedules of 7:45 am and 4:00 pm.

For the Ibadan-to-Lagos route, the additional trip is set for 10:50 am, joining the regular departures at 8:00 am and 4:30 pm.

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“Catch our extra Friday & Saturday train trips on LAGOS – IBADAN TRAIN SERVICE (LITS). 

“LAGOS to IBADAN: 

“•⁠Times: 7:45am, 1:40pm, 4:00pm 

“IBADAN to LAGOS: 

“•⁠Times: 8:00am, 10:50am, 4:30pm,” NRC’s tweet read in part.

This tweet by the Nigerian Railway Corporation further noted that the new schedule complements the existing Sunday-to-Thursday trips, which remain unchanged with departure times at 8:00 am and 4:00 pm from both Lagos and Ibadan.

This move by the NRC to expand the schedule is aimed at accommodating increased demand, particularly during weekends, and providing greater flexibility for commuters traveling between Lagos and Ibadan.

The move is expected to ease travel pressures and improve convenience for passengers on one of Nigeria’s busiest rail routes.

Travelers are encouraged to take advantage of the additional services and book tickets early via the e-ticketing website. to secure their spots, especially as the Lagos-Ibadan rail route continues to grow in popularity.

Nigerian railway adds extra train to Friday, Saturday trips on Lagos-Ibadan route

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Nigeria gets $350m AfDB facility for Kano-Maradi rail project

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Nigeria gets $350m AfDB facility for Kano-Maradi rail project

The Federal Government of Nigeria has secured $350 million from the African Development Bank (AfDB) to fund the construction of the Kano-Maradi rail project, which will connect Kano to Maradi in Niger Republic.

The Chairman of the Senate Committee on Land Transport, Senator Adamu Aliero, made this disclosure on Monday during an oversight visit to the Nigeria Railway Corporation (NRC) headquarters in Lagos, as reported by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).

Aliero stated that the Kano-Maradi rail project is part of the government’s broader efforts to modernize Nigeria’s railway network and enhance regional trade links.

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“The Chairman, Senate Committee on Land Transport, Sen. Adamu Aliero,  says the African Development Bank has released $350 million to the Federal Government for construction of a rail line from Kano to Maradi,” the NAN report read in part.

He also highlighted that President Bola Tinubu’s recent visit to China focused on finalizing negotiations for 85% of the financing needed to upgrade and rehabilitate the nation’s rail infrastructure.

Aliero disclosed that the supplementary budget recently passed by the National Assembly allocated over N530 billion as counterpart funding for these modernization efforts. The remaining 85% of the funds will be sourced from institutions such as China Exim Bank, the International Finance Corporation, and AfDB.

Nigeria gets $350m AfDB facility for Kano-Maradi rail project

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