The Nigeria Railway Corporation on Sunday announced the
closure of Ekehen Station in Edo State till further notice.
The organisation said the decision became necessary
following rising security challenges.
The incident came barely one year after the March 28, 2022
attack by bandits on the Abuja-Kaduna train, resulting in the death of about 14
passengers while 65 others were abducted.
One of the victims and 21-year-old student of Kaduna State
University, Lois Azurfa John, told our correspondent why she declined marriage
proposals by the Boko Haram commander while in the custody of the insurgents.
A public announcement by the NRC posted on the passengers’
WhatsApp Group obtained by our correspondent said the closure was “till further
notice.”
The statement reads, “Public Announcement: This is to inform
our general public and most especially our esteemed passengers, that Ekehen
Station has been temporarily closed due to security issues, till further
notice.”
Another notice reads, “Due to the incident at Ekehen station
on Saturday, WITS 01/ 02 will no longer stop at Ekehen Station. Please advise
our customers.”
Recall that gunmen suspected to be herdsmen on
Saturday evening abducted many passengers waiting to board a train from the
Igueben station in Igueben Local Government Area of Edo State to Warri in Delta
State, while many others sustained injuries.
The Spokesperson for Edo State Police Command, Chidi
Nwabuzor, confirmed the incident in a statement.
According to him, the abductors, armed with AK 47, invaded
the train station and shot sporadically into the air before abducting scores of
intending travellers into the bush.
Nwabuzor said that many of the passengers sustained bullet
wounds, assuring that operatives were on the trail of the abductors with an aim
to rescue those the kidnappers herded into the bush.
He said, “This is to inform the gentlemen of the press that
on January 7, 2023, at about 1600hrs, an unspecified number of herdsmen armed
with AK-47 riffles attacked the train station at Igueben, Edo State and
kidnapped an 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 the
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.
“Bush combing operations have commenced in order to rescue
the victims and arrest the fleeing kidnappers. Further developments will be
communicated.”
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