Former lawmaker Festus Edughele kidnapped in Edo State
BENIN CITY- Barely 72 hours after 32 people were abducted during a train attack in Igueben, a high-profile Edo indigen has been abducted.
Hon. Festus Igbelokoto Edughele, a former member of the Edo State House of Assembly who represented Esan South East Constituency, was, on Monday, abducted by gunmen.
The gunmen kidnapped Edughele along Ugoneki road in Uhunmwouode Local government area of Edo State while on his way to Benin City.
The daredevil kidnappers opened fire when they saw the lawmaker, forcing him to stop his vehicle.
TSG gathered that kidnapped and whisked to an unknown destination.
In a telephone conversation, a former Deputy Speaker of the Edo state House of Assembly, Hon Festus Ebea, said, ” Yes, Festus Edughele was kidnapped today on his way to Benin city.
“He was kidnapped at Ugoneki by some unknown gunmen and not the way some persons reported it”.
Of press time, TSG gathered that the kidnappers had already called the family members and demanded Two Million Naira as ransom.
Customary Court President Mrs Precious Aigbonoga kidnapped
Also, today Monday, 9 January 2023, the President Igueben Area Customary Court, Mrs Precious Aigbonoga, was kidnapped at the same spot in Ugoneki road in Edo state.
Mrs Aigbonoga was abducted on her way to Igueben to preside over her court sitting.
It was revealed that the gunmen forced the car of Mrs Aigbonoga to stop at gunpoint before kidnapping her into the bush.
In a statement, the Benin Branch of the Nigeria Bar Association, Lions Bar, described the kidnapping of Mrs Aigbonoga as “very disturbing.”
In a statement signed by the Publicity Secretary of Lions Bar, Festus Osagie Usiobaifo Esq. called on the police to ensure that the lgueben Area Customary Court president was rescued unhurt.
As of press time, there has not been a call for any ransom.
It would be recalled that fierce-looking gunmen kidnapped 32 train passengers on Saturday, 7 January 2023, in Ikekhen, Igueben, local government area of Edo state.
The whereabouts of the kidnapped victims remain unknown at press time.
The Deputy Governor of Edo state, Rt. Hon Philip Shaibu and the Edo state commissioner of Police, CP Mohammed Dankwara, on Sunday visited the scene of the train passengers’ kidnappings in Igueben, where they urged security agents to mobilise into the bush to rescue the victims.
The report says a joint team of security operatives in Edo state are now on the trail of the alleged kidnappers to rescue those kidnapped unhurt.
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