No fewer than eight suspects have been charged to court by the Edo State Police Command for the abduction of over 20 passengers and two Nigerian Railway Corporation staff on January 7, 2023, following an attack by gunmen on the Igueben Train Station in Edo.
Contradicting an earlier statement by the police that herdsmen were behind the attack, a court document obtained by The Punch revealed that the suspects charged by police are; Ibadin Hamilton, Ighoko Odion, Okojie Ewa, Okie Patrick, Friday Ighedujiemu, Halilu Umaru, Aminu Ibrahim, and Isah Aliyu for criminal conspiracy and kidnapping.
Further checks on the names by Quest Times revealed that some of the names are of Edo ethnicity.
The Quest Times reports that Edo state police command earlier in a statement said the kidnappers were herdsmen armed with AK-47 riffles.
The statement signed by the Command’s spokesman, Chidi Nwabuzor, reads, “This is to inform the gentlemen of the press that on Saturday, 7th of January, 2023 at about 1600hrs, an unspecified number of herdsmen armed with AK 47 riffles attacked the train station at Igueben, Edo State, and kidnapped an unspecified number of passengers, who were waiting to board the train to Warri.
“The kidnappers, who shot sporadically into the air before kidnapping some passengers, left some persons with bullet wounds. The Area Commander, Irrua, DPO Igueben Division, and men have visited the scene of crime with members of the Edo State Security Network, local vigilantes, and hunters with a view to protecting the lives and property of the remaining passengers.”
However, the charge sheet dated January 17, 2023, and filed by the Legal Section State Criminal Investigation Department, Police Headquarters, Benin City, revealed that Odion, 62, Ewa, 58, Patrick, 42, Ighedujiemu, 51, Hamilton, 59, Umaru, 28, Ibrahim, 25, and Aliyu, 25, all male, conspired to kidnap the victims with the expectation of getting N20 million from their relatives as ransom for their freedom.
Count one reads, “That you Ighoko Odion, Okojie Ewa, Okie Patrick, Friday Ighedujiemu, Ibadin Hamilton, Halilu Umaru, Aminu Ibrahim, Isah Aliyu, and others now at large, on or about the 16th day of January 2023 at about 12:00 hours at the Nigerian Rail Way Station, Igueben, Edo State, in the Benn Judicial Division, did conspire amongst yourselves to commit felony to wit: Kidnapping and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 5 and punishable under Section 2 (1) (2) of the Kidnapping Prohibition (Amendment) Law of Edo State, 2013.”
Count two reads, “That you Ighoko Odion, Okojie Ewa, Okie Patrick, Friday Ighedujiemu, Ibadin Hamilton, Halilu Umaru, Aminu Ibrahim, Isah Aliyu, and others now at large, on or about the 16th day of January 2023 at about 12:00 hours at the Nigerian Rail Way Station, Igueben, Edo State, in the Benin Judicial Division, while armed with guns and other dangerous weapons, did attack and kidnapped passengers inside the train to an unknown destination till now with intent to receive ransom payment of N20,000,000.00 before release from your captivity and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 2 (1), (2) of the kidnapping Prohibition (Amendhent) Law of Edo State, 2013.”
Meanwhile, all the victims of the attack have been released.