Less than a year after terrorists attacked the Abuja-Kaduna bound train, killing and abducting scores of passengers, another train attack has taken place.
About 32 train passengers and staff of the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) were on Saturday, abducted by gunmen at the Igueben train sub-station in Edo State, in an attack confirmed by the Edo State Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Chris Nehikhare.
The Commissioner revealed during a media briefing on Sunday that efforts by a team of local vigilantes and the police resulted in the arrest of one the attackers, while one of the victims escaped.
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“After 32 persons were kidnapped, the police, vigilante, and local hunters swung into action, combing the bushes around the vicinity. One of the kidnapped victims was able to escape.
“The Edo State Deputy Governor, Philip Shaibu, has visited the scene of the attack for on-the-spot assessment and was told that one of the suspects was arrested and he has been helping the police with investigation to arrest other fleeing members of the kidnapping gang.
“We congratulate the police and other security agencies for their swiftness in attending to the security brief. We appreciate the local hunters and members of the Edo State Security Network, as their collaboration assisted in this operation. This synergy led to the success recorded in a very short time,” he said in a statement.
Acknowledging the incident, the Edo State Police Command said on Sunday, in a statement signed by its spokesman, Chidi Nwabuzor, that the kidnappers were herdsmen armed with AK-47 rifles.
According to the police, the suspected herdsmen took their victims, including those who sustained bullet wounds, to the bush. But Nwabuzor assured that there is an ongoing rescue operation by the police that includes bush combing to arrest the attackers and rescue the victims.
“This is to inform the gentlemen of the press that on Saturday, 7th of January, 2023 at about 1600hrs, unspecified number of herdsmen armed with AK 47 rifles attacked the Tom Ikimi 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 the Edo State Security Network, local vigilantes, and hunters with a view to protecting the lives and property of the remaining passengers,” the statement said.
The federal government, in its response to the kidnapping, described it as “despicable and utterly barbaric.”
Director, Press/Public Relations, Federal Ministry of Transportation, Henshaw Ogubike, reassured the public that the security agencies are making efforts to rescue the kidnapped train passengers.
“The government is saddened by this unpleasant development and assures its prompt response to the ugly situation. Further details will be communicated later,” he said.
However, while both the federal government and Edo State Police Command assure the public of unrelenting rescue efforts for the kidnapped passengers, the idea of using trains in the country is gradually getting diminished in the minds of many due to frequent terrorist attacks.
Nigeria has spent tens of billions of borrowed dollars on its rail project, hoping to begin to recoup the invested fund as soon as train transportation operation commences. However, the kickoff has been met by repeated gunmen attacks on train passengers, driving down the zeal of Nigerian commuters to choose the railway over road transport.
In March, an Abuja-Kaduna bound train was attacked by terrorists, who killed several passengers and kidnapped dozens of others, forcing the railway service to temporarily shut down operation. It took millions of naira in ransom payments, several months of negotiations between the government and the terrorists before all the abducted passengers were released.