By Friday Olokor, Lilian Ukagwu, Adeyinka Adedipe and Peter Dada
The Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Nigerian Railway Corporation, Fidet Okhiria, has said the corporation has yet to receive complaints from members of the public regarding missing relatives who might have been abducted from a train station in Edo State on January 7.
While speaking in an interview with The PUNCH on Tuesday, Okhiria added that he was not aware if the kidnappers had contacted the families of the victims.
The PUNCH had reported that several passengers waiting to board a train from the Igueben station in Igueben Local Government Area of Edo State to Warri in Delta State were kidnapped by gunmen on Saturday evening.
Okhiria said the NRC could not do much to seek the release of the kidnapped victims.
He said, “We had security meetings. I am not aware if the kidnappers have contacted the families of the victims. No family has contacted us to say their people have been kidnapped. Nobody has spoken to us about that. We only know that when they came to the station, the staff members there said they took some people, including two of our staff members.
“Maybe they (the victims’ families) are dealing directly with the police and other security agencies. The NRC cannot do anything to secure their release, it’s the security agencies. If anything of such happens, it’s the police that should act.”
Woman rescued
Meanwhile, the Edo State Police Command on Tuesday said it has rescued one female victim who was kidnapped along with 31 others at the station.
According to the command’s spokesperson, Chidi Nwabuzor, the number of victims rescued is now seven, while efforts are on to free others from the kidnappers’ den.
He said, “One female victim was rescued on Tuesday. As of Monday, six victims were rescued by the security team, bringing the total to seven victims that have been rescued.”
Similarly, the Edo State Deputy Governor, Philip Shaibu, said the government is strengthening security to check crime and criminality, adding that the Governor Godwin Obaseki-led administration will make the state unsafe for kidnappers and other criminal elements to thrive
Shaibu disclosed this on Tuesday after a meeting with heads of security agencies and community leaders at the Igueben Railway Station.
“We are doing all to ensure we get these people out. The Governor has asked us to give a morale boost to troops on the ground and also review our security strategy,” he said.
FG allays fears
However, the Federal Government through the Ministry of Transportation has allayed fears that the Nigerian rail system will be shut down.
The Minister of State for Transportation, Ademola Adegoroye, disclosed this when he visited the train station.
He said, “The Federal Government remains undeterred. The Nigerian Railway Corporation remains undeterred and that is why we will continue to operate this rail service. We are not going to stop. All we need to do is to ensure the safety and security of our people and our passengers.”
On his part, the senator representing Ondo South Senatorial District, Nicholas Tofowomo, called on the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.) to establish railway police at every station to curb the attacks on railway passengers.
Source: The Punch
