According to the court documents, the Edo train attack suspects conspired to kidnap the victims with the expectation of getting N20 million from their relatives as ransom for their freedom.
By Jeffrey Agbo
The police have charged eight suspects to court over the January 7 abduction of over 20 passengers at Igueben Train Station in Edo Central and two members of the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) staff members.
According to court documents obtained by PUNCH, those charged on Wednesday for criminal conspiracy and kidnapping include two village chiefs.
The suspects are Ibadin Hamilton, Ighoko Odion, Okojie Ewa, Okie Patrick, Friday Ighedujiemu, Halilu Umaru, Aminu Ibrahim, and Isah Aliyu.
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.
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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 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 Benin Judicial Division, while armed with guns and other dangerous weapons, 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.”
Meanwhile, all the victims of the attack have been released.
