Scores of passengers waiting to board a train from Igueben in Igueben Local Government Area of Edo State to Warri in Delta State have been abducted by gunmen suspected to be cattle herders.
Many of the fear – stricken travellers – women, men and children, were injured in the ensuing melee when the herders stormed the station and began to shoot sporadically.
Edo Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Chidi Nwabuzor, a Superintendent of Police (SP), confirmed the incident this night.
The Daily Crucible learnt that security agencies are working to locate and rescue the victims from the bush.
SP Chidi Nwabuzor in a press statement at about 9.55pm, stated that the abduction of persons waiting to board train at Igueben happened at about 4.00pm on Saturday.
The suspected herdsmen who carried out the attack, he stated, were armed with AK 47 rifles.
According to him, they invaded the train station and shot sporadically into the air before herding unspecified number of intending travellers into the bush.
In the process, some of the passengers, he added, sustained bullet wounds, just as it assured that bush combing and rescue operations had begun to rescue those that were kidnapped.
The text of the statement reads:
“This is to inform the gentlemen of the press that today, 7th of January, 2023 at about 1600hrs, unspecified number of Herdsmen armed with AK 47 riffles attacked the train station at Igueben, Edo State and kidnapped unspecified 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. The Area Commander Irrua, DPO Igueben Division, and men have visited the scene of crime with members of Edo State Security Network, local vigilante, and hunter with a view to protect 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 development will be communicated”, the PPRO stated.
