Unknown number of gunmen, on Saturday morning, attacked the Igueben Train Station in Edo State, kidnapping many passengers.
The NewsZenith gathered that the incident happened at about 4.00 p.m. on Saturday.
The Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) in the state, Chidi Nwabuzor, confirmed the incident, saying the gunmen were armed with AK-47 rifles.
Nwabuzor said gunmen invaded the train station and abducted some passengers waiting to board a train to Warri in Delta State.
He described the gunmen as ‘herdsmen’.
“They are loose bands of armed persons who used to rear cattle but have become full-fledged criminals, killing and kidnapping people at will across the country.
“This is to inform gentlemen of the press that today, 7th of January, 2023 at about 1600hrs, an unspecified number of herdsmen armed with AK-47 riffles, attacked the train station at Igueben, Edo State.
“They kidnapped an unknown number of passengers who were waiting to board the train to Warri.
“The kidnappers, who shot sporadically into the air before kidnapping some passengers, left some persons with bullet wounds.
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“The Area Commander in Irrua, DPO Igueben Division and men have visited the crime scene,” the PPRO said.
Also on the ground at the scene are members of the Edo State Security Network, local vigilantes and hunters.
They all converged at the state 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,” Nwabuzor said consequently in a statement.
The Edo incident is the first such attack on a train facility in southern Nigeria.
It occurred several months after a similar attack on a Kaduna-bound train from Abuja.
Scores of passengers were killed while many others were kidnapped but later released piecemeal after payment of ransom.
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