*14 Passengers Still With Abductors, Says NRC
ABDUCTORS of the train passengers at Igueben, Edo State on Saturday are reported to have demanded the sum of N20 million per victim, according to family members.
Even though the state Police Command was yet to confirm the development, but Executive Director of Esan Youth for Good Governance and Social Justice, Benson Odia, described the demand as absurd, calling on the authorities to intensify efforts to rescue the abducted persons still in captivity.
“I can tell you that the kidnappers have demanded N20 million, totalling N620 million. This is absurd and I don’t know where poor people will be able to raise that amount of money,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Managing Director the Nigeria Railway Corporation (NRC), Mr. Fidet Okhiria, has said about 14 of the passengers who were kidnapped at Tom Ikimi train station were still being held by their abductors, assuring that efforts were on to rescue them, even as he disclosed that approval had not been gotten to acquire sophisticated security systems.
Okhiria, speaking on television programme, asked whether lessons were learnt from the attack on the Abuja-Kaduna train, said: “We learned a lot from the last attack. We have deployed some systems and improved our security by increasing the number of personnel; vigilantes, army, police, and some technology but we are not there yet. We have to continue to improve and make sure that we get the required result.
“The IG deployed some policemen; Mobile and various anti-terrorism teams, same thing with the NSCDC and we also engaged the community watch.
“On Itakpe-Warri, we have engaged the local community to protect and also support the security architecture we have in place.
“So, I think we have improved but there is nothing that cannot be sabotaged with the will and determination of the saboteurs.”
