ENUGU, Nigeria (VOICE OF NAIJA)- The Edo State government announced that 12 victims of the Igueben train kidnap in Edo state, have been rescued, after spending one week in kidnappers’ den.
The names of the released victims are Eunice Eseba, Marian Mowoe, Faith Smart, Precious Egwuje, Obehi Omaben, Amm Benson, Favour Akungo, Akhimen Ehiemamen, Emmanuel Esieba, Iyoha Julius and Aguelle Beatrice.
The victims were rescued Saturday night by a Special Force made of men from the Army, Police, DSS, local vigilante, hunters and other security agencies.
Speaking to journalists shortly after visiting the victims at the Police Cottage Hospital in Benin City, Governor Godwin Obaseki noted that no amount was paid for the release of the victims but that the Special Forces went in and overpowered the kidnappers who ran away with the remaining two victims who are said to be staff of the NRC.
Obaseki berated the authorities of the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) for not providing enough security in their facilities after the Kaduna train kidnap last year.
The Governor also threatened to sanction traditional rulers in the area who are still giving their lands to herdsmen for grazing.
Obaseki said: “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 grueling 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 Airforce, 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 unarmed.
“We think it is something worth celebrating, we think 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”
Speaking on how they were rescued, the Commissioner of Police Muhammed Dankwara said there were no casualties and that arrests have been of people believed to be syndicates to the kidnapping.
He 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 that they were roaming around that 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, they escaped but we have made arrests, we have people that are with us that are part of the syndicate that did this thing.”