Travellers ‘kidnapped, injured’ as ‘herdsmen’ invade train station in Edo

Gunmen, suspected to be herdsmen, have kidnapped many passengers from a train station in Edo state.

Chidi Nwabuzor, Edo police public relations officer, confirmed the incident in a statement on Saturday.

He said the travellers were waiting to board a train from the Igueben station in Igueben local government area of Edo to Warri in Delta state, when they were kidnapped by the suspected herdsmen on Saturday evening.

Nwabuzor said the abductors stormed the train station with AK 47 rifles and shot sporadically into the air before abducting plenty passengers into the bush.

Many of the travellers sustained bullet wounds, he said.

However, the Nwabuzor assured that operatives were on the trail of the abductors in order to rescue the kidnapped victims.

“This is to inform the gentlemen of the press that today, 7th of January, 2023 at about 1600hrs, unspecified number of herdsmen armed with AK 47 rifles attacked the train station at Igueben, Edo State and kidnapped unspecified number of passengers who were waiting to board the train to Warri,” Nwabuzor stated.

“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 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.”

Meanwhile, the latest abduction of passengers comes barely a year after terrorists attacked a train on its way from Abuja to Kaduna on March 28, 2022.

The Abuja-Kaduna train attack led to the death of about 14 passengers, while 63 others were declared abducted.

The incident also grounded train services on the route for months before resuming on November 28, 2022, after the release of the abducted victims was secured.