Edo Train Kidnap: Good News As 12 Victims Regain Freedom

• Obaseki carpets NRC over inadequate security in facilities
• Threatens traditional rulers hosting criminal herdsmen 

BY ONYEKACHUKWU IBEZIM – Cheering news has come from the Edo State government that twelve victims of the Igueben train kidnap were Saturday night rescued by a Special Force made of men from the Nigerian Army, Police, Department of State Security (DSS) local vigilante, hunters and other security agencies.

The successful rescue operation is coming after the victims had spent over one week in the kidnappers’ custody with the Edo State Governor Godwin Obaseki slamming the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) authorities for inadequate security arrangements in their facilities.

Governor Obaseki, who spoke to journalists shortly after visiting the victims at the Police Cottage Hospital in Benin City, also threatened to sanction royal fathers in the area engaged in renting of their lands to so-called herders for grazing without the government permission.

Explaining that no amount was paid for the victims’ freedom, the governor disclosed that the Special Forces invaded the area and overpowered the criminals who escaped with the remaining two abductees said to be NRC staff.

An angry Obaseki said the NRC management failed woefully in their responsibilities as they were supposed to do better in terms of providing adequate security in the facilities given the horrible experience of last year’s Kaduna train kidnap where innocent Nigerians lost their lives while many others parted with huge sums as ransom for their freedom after several months in captivity.

“I must 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 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 gruelling 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 Air Force, 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 unharmed.

“We think it is something worth celebrating. We should thank and appreciate 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”

Obaseki, while expressing unhappiness with the traditional institution in the area, said; “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.

On his part, the Commissioner of Police, Edo State Command, CP Muhammed Dankwara said there were no casualties during the rescue operation, but added that some people believed to be associated with the kidnapping syndicates have been arrested.

Briefing journalists on the rescue operation, CP Dankwara said; “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 gathered that they were roaming around the 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 has been reported. They (kidnappers) escaped, but we have made arrests. We have people that are with us that are part of the syndicate that did this thing.”

Meanwhile, the Police boss has listed names of the freed victims as Eunice Eseba, Marian Mowoe, Amm Benson, Iyoha Julius, and Aguelle Beatrice.

Others are Favour Akungo, Akhimen Ehiemamen, Emmanuel Esieba, Faith Smart, Precious Egwuje, and Obehi Omaben