Festus Edughele, an erstwhile lawmaker at the Edo House of Assembly, has been kidnapped, Peoples Gazette has learnt. 

Mr Edughele was abducted Monday at Ubiaja in the Esan South-East local council area of Edo by gunmen.

The gunmen were said to have dragged the former lawmaker into a bush.

His abduction came three days after herdsmen launched an attack on people waiting to board a train from Igueben station en route to Warri in Delta. 

Following the attack and abductions of the passengers,  the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) announced the shutdown of operations at its train station on Sunday. 

It was gathered that Mr Edughele, was kidnapped while travelling from Orhionmwon to Benin City.

“He (Edughele) was kidnapped this morning (Monaday) in Ubiaja on his way from Orhionmwon to Benin. He had intended to take the train for Ubiaja but he could not do so since the train services had been suspended,” a former speaker of the Edo Assembly, Festus Ebea, confirmed the abduction of his colleague. “The family is aware of his kidnap, the police division in that area has been informed and we hope action will be taken to rescue him.”

Chidi Nwabuzor, spokesperson for the Edo police command did not immediately respond to request for comment on the attack.