The Nigeria Railway Corporation (NRC) has announced an indefinite shutdown of Ekehen Station in Edo State following an attack by unknown gunmen attack over the weekend.
Reports say that gunmen stormed the station on Saturday evening and abducted scores of passengers waiting to travel to Delta State.
The incident has attracted reactions from concerned bodies and Nigerians across the board as it happened barely one year after the March 28, 2022, attack by terrorists on the Abuja-Kaduna train, resulting in the death of about 14 passengers while 65 others were abducted.
In a statement, however, delivered to newsmen on Sunday (today), the NRC posted affirmed the shutting down of the train station, saying the order was with immediate effect will remain close till further notice.
The statement realds: “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.
“Due to the incident at Ekehen station on Saturday, WITS 01/ 02 will no longer stop at Ekehen Station. Please advise our customers.”
The latest train attack happened in the Igueben station in the Igueben Local Government Area of Edo State.
In his reaction, the Spokesperson for Edo State Police Command, Chidi Nwabuzor, said 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 to rescue victims that were Kidnapped and herded into the bush.
In his words, “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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