Doubts Over Rescue Of Igueben Train Station Abductees

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.

However, there were doubts over the claims over the reports of the rescue as some claimed that those released were let off by the abductors.

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

It was 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.

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 over reports of the rescue of the Igueben train station attack.

How station manager, passengers were abducted

It was 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.

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