Just In: NRC Shuts Edo Train Station After Abduction Of Passengers

The Nigerian Railway Corporation has temporarily shut down the Ekehen Station in Edo State.

The announcement is coming after the abduction of some passengers on Saturday.

In a message shared on the passengers’ WhatApp Group, the Corporation said, “Public Announcement: This is to inform our general public and most especially our esteemed passengers, that Ekehen Station has been temporarily closed due to security issues, till further notice.”

Another notice linked the development to the incident at Ekehen station on Saturday, adding “WITS 01/ 02 will no longer stop at Ekehen Station. Please advise our customers”, Punch reports.

Gunmen had invaded the train station while passengers waited to board a train to Warri on Saturday evening.

The Edo State Police Command confirmed that the assailants were armed with sophisticated weapons and they shot sporadically before whisking away an unspecified number of passengers.

The police said its operatives alongside local security outfits were combing surrounding bush areas to rescue the victims and apprehend the captors.

The incident occurred barely a year after terrorists detonated explosives at an inbound Kaduna-Abuja train on March 28.

After shooting sporadically at the coaches, the terrorists gained access to the train and abducted 63 passengers including children and an aged mother.

The incident left at least 26 passengers injured while nine were reported to have died.