Six victims of Saturday evening’s train station kidnap at the Igueben-Ekehen train station in Edo state have been rescued by the search team.
Among the victims who were saved were a 65-year-old man, a nursing mother and her infant, a 6-year-old girl, and two siblings, who were 2 and 5 years old.
While waiting to board a train to Udu in Delta State, gunmen who were thought to be herdsmen attacked passengers, kidnapping 31 of them while injuring many more.
Chris Nehikhare, the state commissioner for communication and orientation, expressed confidence that the other victims would be rescued soon while announcing the victims’ rescue by security personnel.
Nehikhare also revealed the arrest of two more suspects, noting that they were previously wanted by the security services for involvement in criminal activity in the Edo central senatorial district.
According to him, “Following the directive from Governor Godwin Obaseki that the kidnappers that attacked the train in Igueben on Saturday be smoked out of their hiding and the persons abducted be rescued, we are happy to announce that six (6) persons have been rescued.
“The highly motivated security personnel are in high spirits and have doubled down on the hot chase of the kidnappers.
“We commend efforts of the rescue team in the bushes and their support staff that have been working tirelessly since the incident occurred to ensure the kidnapped passengers are rescued and reunited with their families.
“As events unfold in the bushes, be assured that we will keep you posted and we crave the support of all stakeholders, particularly the media to stay with the facts and avoid sensational reports that could further inflict emotional pain on the families and friends of the victims who are already in distress”, he said.