Edo Train Passengers Kidnap Suspects Arraigned In Court

Edo State police command has said the appearance of eight suspects in court for the kidnap of 20 passengers and two Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) employees on January 7, 2023 was for extension of an ex-parte order as against the report that it was for trial.
This was disclosed yesterday by the police command public relations officer, Chidi Nwabuzor.
The suspects in the police are Ibadin Hamilton, Ighoko Odion, Okojie Ewa, Okie Patrick, Friday Ighedujiemu, Halilu Umaru, Aminu Ibrahim, and Isah Aliyu for criminal conspiracy and kidnapping.
The charge sheet dated January 17, 2023, was filed by the Legal Section State Criminal Investigation Department, Police Headquarters, Benin City.
The document 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.
Last Wednesday, the police said two village chiefs and five others were arrested in connection with the crime, while revealing that all the victims had been rescued.
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 RailWay 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 Railway 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 (Amendment) Law of Edo State, 2013.”
Twenty passengers and staff of the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) were believed to have been abducted by gunmen two weeks ago at the train station, while several passengers were injured.
The Edo State commissioner for communications and orientation, Chris Nehihkare, had told newsmen that the two remaining victims of the train station attack have been rescued and seven suspects, including two traditional rulers, were in police custody.