The Edo Police Command has disclosed the release of five victims out of the 32 abducted from the Igueben train station on Saturday.


The victims including a nursing mother, her infant, two minors and a retired police officer were said to have been found by security operatives during the ongoing search and rescue operation on Sunday.


“Among the rescued victims by the security operatives were a retired police officer, a lady with a one-year-old child, a boy and a girl of three and six years old respectively but the whereabouts of their parents is yet unknown,” the police said.


The spokesperson of the Edo State Police Command, Chidi Nwanbuzor noted that various state security outfits in the state are still combing the surrounding areas, to find the captors and their victims.

 

The command also disclosed the arrest of a suspect during a press briefing by the State Commissioner for Communications and Orientation, Chris Nehikhare on Sunday.

 

He said, “After 32 persons were kidnapped, the police, vigilante, and local hunters swung into action, combing the bushes around the vicinity. One of the kidnapped victims was able to escape.

 

 “The Edo State Deputy Governor, Philip Shaibu, has visited the scene of the attack for on-the-spot assessment and was told that one of the suspects was arrested and he has been helping the police with the investigation to arrest other fleeing members of the kidnapping gang.”

 

Armed men had invaded the train station while passengers waited to board a train to Warri on Saturday evening. They were said to have emerged from the surrounding bush, shooting sporadically.

 

They abducted at least 32 passengers while an unspecified number of passengers sustained injuries while scampering for safety.

 

There are, however, contrary reports stating that the abducted minors were released by the captors at a filling station, and their relatives were contacted to pick them up.