Chris Nehikhare, the commissioner of communication and orientation in Edo, says that 31 people who were supposed to be at the Igueben train station on Saturday were taken.
The passengers were reportedly waiting for a 4 p.m. train from Igueben to Warri when the kidnappers attacked, firing randomly, taking people hostage, and hurting a few of them.
One kidnapped passenger managed to escape from the kidnappers, according to Nehikhare, who also said that the police had detained one of the perpetrators.
The kidnapping, he declared, is currently the state’s most challenging event. At around 4 p.m., a few armed individuals arrived with trucks and began intermittently firing at the Igueben train station.
32 were kidnapped, while several others suffered injuries. They arrived in cars, but they carried their victims on foot through the forest.
“The police quickly began searching the jungle in coordination with the vigilantes and hunters.
“One suspect has been taken into custody and is assisting the police with their inquiry.”
“This morning, the Deputy Governor, Philip Shaibu, went to the crime scene to see for himself what was going on.
“We are happy to report that one suspect has been taken into custody. “We commend the police and the Edo security network for responding to the security breach so quickly,” Nehikhare stated.
He stated that “we sympathise with the victims’ families and hope that this is the last time we will see such audacious individuals invading government facilities.”
Nehikhare also said that the state government was paying the pensions of its retired workers on time, and that one-third of the money it spends on its employees was going toward pensions.
“We make N100 million accessible each month to provide gratuity to retirees who have major medical issues. Last year, we paid over N1 billion, and we planned an additional N1 billion for 2023.
He said, “We have to think that the pension protests in the past were started by politicians.”
