Following a gunman attack on the Igueben Train Station in Edo Central on January 7, 2023, the Nigerian Railway Corporation workers abducted over 20 passengers as well as two members of the staff. The Edo State Police Command has charged eight individuals in court.
In addition to announcing that all the victims had been saved, the police revealed on Wednesday that two village heads and five other people had been detained in connection with the crime.
According to a court document that our correspondent was given access to exclusively, the police have accused the suspects, Ibadin Hamilton, Ighoko Odion, Okojie Ewa, Okie Patrick, Friday Ighedujiemu, Halilu Umaru, Aminu Ibrahim, and Isah Aliyu, of criminal conspiracy and kidnapping.
The Legal Section State Criminal Investigation Department, Police Headquarters, Benin City, filed the accusation sheet dated January 17, 2023.
According to the paper, a group of men commanded by Odion, 62, Ewa, 58, Patrick, 42, Ighedujiemu, 51, Hamilton, 59, Umaru, 28, Ibrahim, 25, and Aliyu, 25, planned to kidnap the victims in order to demand N20 million from their families as a ransom.
Charge 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 Benn Judicial Division, while armed with guns and other dangerous weapon, 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.”
