•••OBASEKI ATTACKS NRC, SAY CORPORATION NOT SHOWING SERIOUSNESS TO RUN TRAIN SERVICE
A combined team of Security operatives, hunters and vigilantes have rescued 12 of 14 remaining victims of the train station attack in Igueben, headquarters of Igueben Local Government Area of Edo State penultimate Saturday.
Those released at Ugboha and Udo forests are Eunice Eseba, Marian Mowoe, Faith Smart, Precious Egwuje, Obehi Omaben, Amm Benson, Favour Akungo, Akhimen Ehiemamen, Emmanuel Esieba, Iyoha Julius and Aguelle Beatrice.
The kidnappers were said to have abducted 20 passengers waiting to board train to Warri, Delta State.
The Edo State Government said on Sunday that a Special Force comprising soldiers, Police, DSS, local vigilante, hunters and other security agencies effectively executed the rescue operation.
The State Governor, Mr Godwin Obaseki, made the disclosure while speaking to journalists shortly after visiting the victims at the Police Cottage Hospital in Benin City on Sunday.
The Governor said that the security forces have been able to release 12 out of 14 still held by the criminals.
Obaseki who said that no ransom was paid for the release of the victims, added that the security operatives overpowered them while they escaped with the remaining two victims who are said to be staff of the NRC.
The Network gathered that the train station manager, Godwin Okpe, and the ticket Clerk, Akhere were the two members of staff of the NRC that were abducted.
He said that the bandits could not escape with the victims with the security cordon around the axis and support from the air force, the police, deployment of drone technology and other efforts.
“We thank God, 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 Airforce, 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 fourteen still being held hostage unarmed.
“We think it is something worth celebrating, we think we should thank and appreciate our 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 criticized the authorities of the Nigerian Railway Corporation failing to provide adequate security in the train stations after the Kaduna train abductions of March 28, 2022.
He also threatened to sanction traditional rulers in the area who are still giving their lands to herdsmen for grazing.
“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! I believe if that agency knows what they are doing, they must investigate what happened and ensure that this sort of a thing does not happen to any other Nigerian anywhere in this country.”
“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 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 told journalists that there were no casualties in the operation.
The CP also said that the police arrested some people believed to be part of the kidnap syndicate.
“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 because from the intelligence gathered it was that they were roaming around that area so yesterday night, the security forces laid an 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. So far no casualty, they escaped but we have made arrests, we have people that are with us that are part of the syndicate that did this thing.”
