According to the Edo State Commissioner for Communication and Orientation, Hon. Chris Nehikhare, Six more of the 31 victims who were abducted at the Igueben train station have reportedly been rescued.
The commissioner made this disclosure at a press briefing in Benin City, stating that two additional suspects on the police’s wanted list had been detained while the investigation to determine their involvement in the kidnapping incident was ongoing.
Six persons had been saved in the previous 24 hours, he declared. A 65-year-old man, a nursing mother and her infant, a 6-year-old child, and two siblings—a boy and a girl between the ages of two and five—were all saved.
“These six people have been rescued, and our security officers have kept searching the bush for other evading kidnapping gang members. I want to reassure the people of Edo that the administration is actively considering this issue and making sure that the state is secure for Edo citizens.
“We are requesting details that will enable the capture of further kidnappers. Due to the fact that the police had previously listed two additional suspects as wanted, they have all been apprehended for their role in the kidnapping in Edo Central. They are assisting the police by providing pertinent information while they are detained, which will result in the arrest of further gang members.
Nehikhare continued, “This is a sensitive issue, therefore we need to keep the public and the press informed of the latest developments. In order to prevent jeopardizing their investigation, I obtain permission from security agencies before informing the media on this matter. I’m also pleading with the people of Edo to provide any information that will shed light on the kidnapping tragedy.
The Commissioner reassured the victims’ relatives that the Edo State Government is treating the situation seriously and said, “We have cordoned off a significant area of the forest since no one understands the forest better than our hunters and security agencies. The bush-combing effort is still going on, and I have no doubt that all of the abducted people will soon be freed.