The Edo State Government has said that only 20 persons were kidnapped at the Igueben Train Station in the State on Saturday, and not 32 as was initially reported.
It said with the rescue of seven hostages from the kidnappers’ den, only 13 persons were still in custody of the abductors on Wednesday.
The State’s Commissioner for Communication and Orientation, Chris Nekhihare, who stated this on Wednesday, said the latest information was gotten from intelligence report.
According to him, “From intelligence report, the kidnappers only took 20 hostages as against 32 initially reported.”
Besides, the Spokesperson of the State Government disclosed that in pursuance to the development, the State’s deputy governor, Philip Shaibu, has meet with Igueben community leaders and heads of security agencies to assure residents of measures to checkmate future occurrence of the incident.
He quoted Shaibu as saying that the State government was strengthening security to check crime and criminality, vowing that the Governor Godwin Obaseki-led administration will make the State unsafe for kidnappers and other criminal elements to thrive.
He said the deputy governor was joined at the meeting by other top government officials, including the Senator representing Edo Central Senatorial District, Senator Clifford Ordia and the Speaker, Edo State House of Assembly, Marcus Onobun, where he called for calm among residents of Igueben LGA, and urged members of the public to provide useful information that will aid ongoing rescue efforts by security agencies.
He noted that Shaibu informed the people of what government was doing to give morale boost to troops on ground and also review security strategy in place, warning the people of the consequences of harbouring terrorists in their domain, while telling the royal fathers within the area to sit up because if government found out that they let out their facilities to be used by the kidnappers, such facilities will be confiscated.
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