They were part of the thirty-one persons who were abducted when gunmen attacked a train station in Igueben, Igueben Local Government Area of the state. The victims were said to be waiting to board a train heading to Warri in Delta State.
But the Edo State Commissioner for Communication and Orientation, Chris Nehikhare, in an update about the incident on Monday, said some of the victims have been rescued. A breakdown of the figure showed that the freed persons included a nursing mother, her baby, and a six-year-old child.
“Following the directive from Governor Godwin Obaseki that the kidnappers that attacked the train in Igueben on Saturday be smoked out of their hiding and the persons abducted be rescued, we are happy to announce that six (6) persons have been rescued,” the Commissioner added in the statement.
“The six persons are a 65-year-old man, a nursing mother with her baby, a 6-year-old girl, and two siblings; aged two and five years old.
“We commend the efforts of the rescue team in the bushes and their support staff that have been working tirelessly since the incident occurred to ensure the kidnapped passengers are rescued and reunited with their families.”
He expressed optimism that other victims will be rescued soon as security agents have doubled down on smoking out the abductors.
“As events unfold in the bushes, be assured that we will keep you posted and we crave the support of all stakeholders, particularly the media to stay with the facts and avoid sensational reports that could further inflict emotional pain on the families and friends of the victims who are already in distress,” he assured.”Operation Bush Combing continues.”
READ THE FULL STATEMENT BELOW:
Press Release
January 9, 2023
Following the directive from Governor Godwin Obaseki that the kidnappers that attacked the train in Igueben on Saturday be smoked out of their hiding and the persons abducted be rescued, we are happy to announce that six (6) persons have been rescued.
The six persons are: a 65-year-old man, a nursing mother with her baby, a 6-year-old girl and two siblings; aged two and five years old.
We commend the efforts of the rescue team in the bushes and their support staff that have been working tirelessly since the incident occurred to ensure the kidnapped passengers are rescued and reunited with their families.
We are confident that the other victims will be rescued soon as the highly motivated security personnel are in high spirits and have doubled down on the hot chase of the kidnappers.
As events unfold in the bushes, be assured that we will keep you posted and we crave the support of all stakeholders, particularly the media to stay with the facts and avoid sensational reports that could further inflict emotional pain on the families and friends of the victims who are already in distress.
Operation Bush Combing continues.
Signed:
Chris Osa Nehikhare,
Hon. Commissioner for Communication and Orientation
