The Edo State Police Command has apprehended 26-year-old Ehis Jonah, who confessed to receiving ₦2 million for his involvement in the January 7, 2023, attack on Igueben train station and the subsequent kidnapping of passengers, News About Nigeria reports.
Jonah, a motorcycle rider, revealed that he provided logistical support to the kidnappers.
The attack, believed to have been carried out by gunmen suspected to be herdsmen, resulted in the abduction of passengers at the Igueben train station in Edo Central Senatorial District.
Jonah, along with 12 other suspects, was paraded by the police for various criminal activities.
In a confession, while speaking with journalists, Jonah explained his role in the kidnapping: “I am a motorcycle rider, and I was hired by Amenvbagbe Ogelegbe to transport him and others to the train station. He promised to pay me for the job. After the kidnapping, he gave me ₦2 million as my share.”
The breakthrough in Jonah’s arrest came after a police surveillance patrol stopped a motorcycle carrying him and two others on September 1, 2024.
According to the Edo State police spokesperson, SP Moses Yamu, the suspects were detained after a phone call received on one of their phones revealed that the owner, Gazali Hassan, had been missing since August 31, along with his motorcycle.
Following this revelation, the police launched an investigation that uncovered Hassan’s murder, with his body found along the Idumoza pipeline in Uromi. Further probes led to the arrest of seven additional suspects linked to other criminal activities in Edo Central, including a robbery at Osigholo filling station and the deadly Igueben train station attack.
Yamu assured the public that efforts are ongoing to capture the remaining members of the syndicate and recover the weapons used in their operations.
