One of the victims of the Edo State train attack has been rescued by security agents.
Details of her rescue however remained unclear as at last night.
The Tom Ikimi/Ekehen train station at Igueben, Igueben Local Government Area of Edo State, in Edo Central Senatorial District, was attacked at the weekend, with 31 persons abducted.
Police spokesperson Chidi Nwabuzor confirmed the rescue but refused to give further details
Seven of the 31 victims have so far been rescued by security operatives, with 24 still in captivity, according to the Commissioner for Communication and Orientation, Chris Nehikhare. He addressed a news conference on Monday to say six persons had been rescued, but the culprits denied the claims, saying all 31 victims remained in their den.
Presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Asiwaju Bola Tinubu has expressed confidence that Nigeria would prevail against the agents of darkness. He condemned the attack, but urged Nigerians not to be dismayed.
A statement by his media aide, Tunde Rahman, prayed that forces of darkness will not prevail over the country. He also sympathised with the victims still in captivity, and urged the Federal, Edo state governments, and local authorities, to work with security agencies to secure their release.
The statement reads: “This is a sad reminder that we have not completely won the war against insecurity, and that there are still some agents of darkness lurking around the corner. But I assure Nigerians we will win this war. Evil will not prevail over our country because of our strong determination to exterminate the dark forces everywhere they manifest.
“One of the reasons I am running for the presidency is to improve the security situation in our country. We have a clear plan to end violent crimes and terrorism through our Anti-Terrorism Battalion Forces, investment in more security hardware and surveillance technology that will make our streets, neighbourhood and forests safer for socio-economic activities to thrive and bloom.
“I praise the rescue efforts of the security agencies that have led to the arrest of some of the terrorists. Nigeria shall overcome.”
There are indications that some of the victims are held in different locations, Managing Director of the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC), Fidet Okhiria, has said.
Okhiria, who appeared on a television programme, gave an update on efforts by security agents since the attack on Saturday. He said: “Six of the victims that were held in captivity were rescued and they (security) are still in pursuit of the bandits. They are moving from place to place but the security agents are trying to see how fast they can meet up with them and rescue other victims.
“From the information I have, I think they divided the victims and took them to different locations. That is what we are suspecting because they caught one of the attackers and he was able to lead the security team to where the six were released. We must also know that it is a security issue, so we must be careful about what we say.”
On whether to be optimistic about the rescue, Okhiria said: “We hope so with the intensity that the security and the community have deployed to ensure that we are not embarrassed, I think something good will happen very soon. We hope so. Some people have been out there since Saturday and they are still there.”
Comment here