7 days after Igueben train attack: Obaseki blames Railway Mgt, Traditional Rulers

---Threatens to probe traditional rulers complacent

By Editor

Jan 15, 2023

Gov Obaseki.

Seven days after the attack on Igueben railway station by unknown gunmen, Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki has blamed the management of the Nigerian Railways Corporation and traditional rulers for the attack.

Dailymonitorngr reports that gunmen last Saturday attacked the train station and kidnapped 20 intending passengers.

Godwin Obaseki heaped the blame on the management and traditional rulers in the locality when he visited 12 rescued victims at the Police Cottage Hospital in GRA, Benin City.

The victims are currently at the hospital for treatment, tests and rehabilitation after the rescue operation.

Dailymonitorngr also reported that barely 48hours after the train station attack, a former lawmaker, Hon Festus Udughele, who represented Esan South-East constituency in the state House of Assembly was kidnapped along one Mr Andrew Usifoh as well as Mrs Precious Aigbonoga, President Igueben Customary court judge at Ugoneki.

In the same vein, an hotelier was allegedly kidnapped in Uromi, the administrative headquarters of Esan North East while a picture of the alleged gruesome murder of one Mr Akugbe surfaced at the social media today (Sunday)

The late Akugbe was alleged to have been shot by gunmen suspected to be kidnappers three day ago at Obazagbon community near Oke-Oroma.

Gov Obaseki (m) and security operatives at the hospital

Obaseki, who was said to have been out of the country before the ill-fated train station attack and the other kidnapping  incidents spoke for the first time when he visited the hospitalized 12 victims alongside the state commissioner of police, Mohammed Dankwara and other tops state government functionaries.

The governor expressed surprise on how six armed gunmen stormed the station to abduct about 30 persons.

He alleged that some traditional rulers in the locality flaunted the state government's anti-grazing law which forbade anybody to allow herdsmen graze on their domain.

He berated the authorities of the Railway Corporation whom he said failed to provide adequate security at the various train stations after the Kaduna incident.

"After the Kaduna incident, you would have expected that the authorities of the Nigerian Railways Corporation would secure their facility better.

"For gunmen to have come in to their facilities and kidnapped almost people is something that has to be investigated as it doesn't give confidence to the people that they would be safe using their facilities.

"So, for six men to have entered and kidnapped about 30 people is something I think should be investigated. It does not speak well of their preparedness to run a safe and efficient rail transport system in the country and it does not give Nigerians the confidence to use that mode of transportation.

"You can not tell me that that facility at Igueben train Station has only one policeman with a riffle guiding that facility particularly after what happened in Kaduna.

“I believe this agency knows what it is doing and should therefore investigate what happened to ensure that this kind of thing does not happen to any Nigerian anywhere in this country", he said.

He also disclosed that the state government will henceforth go after traditional rulers who gave out grazing land to undesirable elements in their community without checking their background, an act that is contrary to the government policies and directives.

According to him, we are working and consulting with the Commissioner of Police and with the service chiefs because we have information that some traditional rulers particularly in that area are not respecting government decisions to make sure that grazing land are not given to herders in their forests.

“I have instructed that the matter should be investigated and anyone found to be harbouring people they should not harbour in their domain would have questions to answer. We don't have this incident in communities that have cooperated with us on the directive", he added.

While commending the track team made up of various security agencies in the state, hunters and members of the Edo State Security Network,he noted that their gallantry and tactfulness proved instrumental to the success recorded.

Some of the rescued victims at the hospital

On his part the State Commissioner of Police, Muhammed Dankwara, said the 12 victims were rescued at Ugboha in Esan South East local government area, while two staff of the station are still held captive. 

Dankwara said the 12 victims rescued through report that the kidnappers are roaming about in the Udoh forest and the security forces laid an ambush, and in trying to move the victims from one location to another where the security intercepted them and thereby abandoned their victims. 

He said the 12 rescued victims bring the figure to 18, the total numbers of victims so far rescued, adding that some people who are part of the kidnapping syndicate have been arrested. 

"12 out of the remaining 14 victims were rescued, while some of the kidnappers were arrested. 

"The abductors made away with 2 victims who are staff of the railways corporation',he said.

He said the twelve rescued victims were made up of eight females and four males.

He gave some of their names to include Eunice Eseba (f), 56, Maria Mowoe (F), 28, Faith Smart (f), 42, Precious Egwuje (f),28, Obehi Omaben (f), 39, Amm Benson (f), 42, Favour Akungo (f),18 and Aguele Beatrice (f), 42

Others are Akhimien Ehiemamen (m), 48, Christian Iyere (m), 33, Emmanuel Esieba (m), 67 and Iyoha Julius (m), 25.

The rescued victims, are Eunice Eseba 56, Marian Mowoe 28, Faith Smart 42, Precious Egwuje 28, Obehi Omaben 39, Amm Benson 42, Favour Akungo18, Akhimen Ehiemamen 48y, Christian iyere 33, Emmanuel Esieba 67, lyoha Julius 25, Aguele Beatrice 42.