Nigerian security forces rescue two more victims of Edo train attack

Two more victims of the Edo train attack were rescued on Thursday by the security forces in the state, a government official has said.

The Edo State Commissioner for Communication and Orientation, Chris Nehikhare, disclosed this Friday at a news briefing in Benin City, Channels Television reported.

Apart from the two train victims rescued, the security officials also rescued the President of the Customary Court in Igueben Area, Precious Aigbononga.

The judge was kidnapped on 9 January, two days after the train incident. Their rescue from the same place is an indication the two kidnap incidents were carried out by the same group of criminals. The police said two of the kidnappers were killed during the rescue operation.

Michael Adams, a deputy superintendent of police, however, died in the aftermath of the rescue operation. The police said he fell unwell during the rescue operation and died after but failed to indicate if he sustained gunshot injuries during the rescue operation.

At least 31 people were reported missing after armed persons attacked the train station in the state. The police claimed the attack was carried out by “herdsmen”.

This newspaper on Monday reported the rescue of six victims of the attack.

The Nigerian government had shut down the train station where the attack occurred.

The attack occurred about 10 months after terrorists attacked a moving train in Kaduna, north-west Nigeria. Several people were killed while dozens of other passengers were kidnapped in the Kaduna incident.

Some passengers spent months with the kidnappers before they were released, either after their relatives paid ransom or after the government negotiated their release.

The Edo incident is the first of such attacks on a train facility in southern Nigeria. But Edo State has witnessed a surge in criminal activities in recent years including an attack on a prison during which dozens of inmates escaped.

Also, a Catholic priest, Christopher Odia, was killed in the state by his abductors in June last year. The following month, an Italian Catholic Priest, Luigui Brena, was abducted but was later rescued by the police.

In October last year, a popular Nigerian cleric and founder of Omega Fire Ministries International, Johnson Suleman, narrowly escaped death after his convoy was attacked by gunmen along Benin-Auchi Road

The gunmen ambushed Mr Suleman’s convoy, killing seven persons, including his three police orderlies.