32 People Kidnapped by Armed Gunmen

32 People Kidnapped by Armed Gunmen

(UnitedVoice.com) – Kidnapping is a serious problem in Nigeria. Organized gangs and terrorist groups have carried out hundreds of abductions in years past. The most recent incident happened at a train station and involved dozens of people.

On Saturday, January 7, a group of armed men attacked a train station in Edo state, an Igueben town. Passengers were waiting aboard the train when kidnappers boarded and began shooting into the air. ABC News reported police spokesman Chidi Nwabuzor released a statement explaining the action injured some of the people on the train, leaving bullet wounds.

The men reportedly took 32 at gunpoint and fled into a nearby forest with them. The kidnappers abducted both staff members and passengers. Some of the victims were able to escape the attackers, including a woman with a baby. She reportedly fled into a neighboring community, where the police took them to safety. The kidnappers also released two kids they’d taken.

Authorities have arrested two suspects who were allegedly involved in the kidnapping. BBC reported Chris Osa Nehikhare, a spokesman for the state, said many people have started using the trains because the local roads have become a “no-go area” due to the increased number of abductions.

Nehikhare said that police, the military, “as well as men of the vigilante network and hunters” are searching for the remaining victims. Officials were reportedly confident they’d be able to find the victims and return them quickly.

In March 2022, gunmen attacked a train traveling from the Nigerian capital. The suspects surrounded the train cars and opened fire. The attackers murdered seven people during the attack and abducted an unknown number.

When the gangs kidnap people, they typically ask for high ransoms for their safe return. It’s unclear whether the suspects in the latest attack have asked for money.

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