Abuja: 32 people waiting for a train at a railway station in Nigeria have been kidnapped at gunpoint.
According to international news agencies, an armed man stormed the Akemi station in the southern state of Edo, Nigeria, and kidnapped 32 people who were waiting for the train and took them to an unknown location.
The local police say that during the attack on the railway station located about 111 kilometers from the state capital city of Benin, the gunman also shot at some people there. According to media sources, the gunman was armed with a modern AK-47 rifle.
According to the state administration, a man waiting for a train at the railway station managed to escape from the clutches of the armed man. On receiving the information, the police and the army have started operations to search for the hostages and in this regard, teams have been formed for raids. Law enforcement agencies have claimed that the hostages will be freed in a few hours.
After the incident, the railway department has closed the said station for train operation till now. The authorities have strongly condemned the incident of abducting the people present at the station at gunpoint, calling it inhumane.
It should be noted that the presidential elections are going to be held in Nigeria next month, while before this type of operations are seen as a major challenge for law enforcement agencies.
