The presidential candidate of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Bola Tinubu, says the recent abduction of 31 persons at a train station in Edo State shows that Nigeria is yet to win the battle against insecurity.
Tinubu, who is seeking to succeed President Muhammadu Buhari, condemned the attack, in an issued statement by his media aide, Tunde Rahman, yesterday.
Recall that the passengers were abducted at Igueben Station on Saturday, while waiting to board the train to Warri, Delta State.
This is the second train abduction in less than one year. In March 2022, dozens of passengers were abducted by armed persons and several persons were killed in the attack. Many of the kidnapped victims were later released after paying ransom to the kidnappers, while others were released after negotiations between the government and the abductors.
Tinubu’s party won the 2015 presidential election with a promise to end insecurity, particularly the insurgency in the North-East. However, despite the improvement in the situation in the region, insecurity has spread in some parts of the country.
The presidential candidate, who has consistently defended President Buhari’s record on security, said this abduction “is a sad reminder that we have not completely won the war against insecurity; and that there are still some agents of darkness lurking around the corner”.
Tinubu also prevailed on the Federal Government and Edo State Government to collaborate to ensure the rescue of the kidnapped victims. He further said the creation of Anti-Terrorism Battalion Forces, as proposed in his manifesto, will help to address violent crimes across the country.
