On January 7, 2023, thirty-two people were kidnapped by bandits at a train station in Edo State, Nigeria.
Kidnapping for ransom is a common tactic used by gangs across Nigeria, although is usually relegated to the north of the country around Kaduna State.
[2] In the run-up to the 2023 Nigerian presidential election, southern and southeastern Nigeria was embroiled in political violence, with Edo State consumed as well.
[6] One woman managed to escape the kidnapping with her baby, and later two children abducted in the attack were dropped off at a nearby gas station with their parents contacted.
[6] The Edo State police commissioner alleged the perpetrators to be Fulani herdsmen.