By Jethro Ibileke
Seven persons, including two traditional rulers have been arrested in connection with the attack on Igueben-Ekehen train station, Edo State, by six gunmen, at about 4.00pm on Saturday, 8 January, 2023.
The gunmen suspected to be Fulani herdsmen, had abducted 20 people, including workers in the station and passengers waiting to board train to Udu, in Delta state.
Several other persons also sustained gunshot injuries during the attack.
The State Governor, Godwin Obaseki, had on Sunday, 15 January, 2023, accused some traditional rulers in the locality of allegedly flouting the state government’s anti-grazing law which forbade anybody from giving land to herdsmen to graze.
Obaseki, who was visiting 12 rescued victims being treated at the Police Cottage Hospital in GRA, Benin City, disclosed that the state government would go after traditional rulers who gave out grazing land to undesirable elements in their community without checking their background.
Addresses the press on Wednesday evening, the State Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Chris Nehikhare, announced the arrest of the suspects.
Nehikhare who did not give the names of the traditional rulers and other suspects, however disclosed that the two traditional rulers were in the Igueben Local Government Area, where the incident happened.
Meanwhile, the two remaining victims of the train station attack have been successfully rescued by security operatives.
Nehikhare, while announcing the rescue of the victims, added that no more victims are in the clutches of their abductors.
“I am happy to inform you that all the remaining victims of the Igueben train station attack have been rescued.
“As at today, none of the victims are in the hand of the abductors,” he said.
