Igueben train station kidnapping

On January 7, 2023, thirty-two people were kidnapped by armed bandits at a train station in Igueben, Edo State, in southern Nigeria. The attack occurred approximately twenty minutes before a train bound for Warri was scheduled to arrive at the station.

Kidnapping for ransom has long been a tactic used by criminal gangs across Nigeria, though it has historically been more concentrated in the north of the country, particularly around Kaduna State. Edo State had taken legal measures in the 2010s to curb kidnapping after several high-ranking judges were abducted, but lower-level kidnappings continued in the state. The attack occurred in the broader context of the run-up to the 2023 Nigerian presidential election, a period during which southern and southeastern Nigeria, including Edo State, experienced political violence.

According to accounts from the scene, the kidnappers emerged from nearby bushland and fired shots into the air, injuring some civilians, before abducting thirty-two people from the station. Among those taken were the station manager and a station clerk. Survivors said the lack of security at the train station contributed to the success of the attack. During the incident, one woman managed to escape with her baby. Separately, two children who had been abducted were later dropped off at a nearby gas station, and their parents were contacted.

By January 17, 2023, all thirty-two abductees had been rescued by Nigerian authorities. In connection with the kidnapping, two village chiefs and five alleged kidnappers were arrested and charged.