The Department of State Services (DSS) yesterday said that Tukur Mamu, a negotiator between bandits and families of the kidnapped passengers of a Kaduna-bound train, was in its custody.
DSS Public Relations Officer, Dr. Peter Afunanya, said Mamu was intercepted by Nigeria’s “foreign partners” in Cairo, Egypt on Tuesday while on his way to Saudi Arabia.
The negotiator was flown back to Nigeria in company with two of his wives following an alleged request by the Federal Government. DSS operatives WHO picked him up at the Aminu Kanu International Airport, Kano are expected to quiz him “on ongoing investigations relating to some security matters in parts of the country.”
Mamu, who is the Publisher of Kaduna-based Desert Herald and an aide of an Islamic cleric, Sheik Abubakar Gumi, negotiated the release of 20 of the 62. passengers kidnapped by terrorists when they attacked a Nigerian Railway Corporation train in March 2022.
While Gumi expressed surprise at the development, the Head of Special Projects, Desert Herald, Ibrahim Mada, described the arrest as “outright intimidation and harassment” of the publisher.
The embattled negotiator had also expressed surprise at this arrest when he spoke yesterday with an Abuja-based newspaper.
“I was not harassed at the Nigerian Airport until I got to Cairo when the security officials there told me that they had orders to arrest me by the Nigerian Department of State Security (DSS). We were arrested alongside my family members for the whole day at Cairo Airport,” he said.
Afunanya had in his statement said: “The DSS has been inundated with enquires in respect of the arrest or otherwise of Tukur Mamu, the self-acclaimed Kaduna train hostage negotiator.
“This is to confirm that Mamu, as a person of interest, was intercepted by Nigeria’s foreign partners at Cairo, Egypt on 6th September 2022 while on his way to Saudi Arabia. He has since been returned to the country, today, 7th September 2022, and taken into the service’s custody.
“The act followed a request by Nigeria’s Military, Law Enforcement, and Intelligence Community to their foreign partners to bring back Mamu to the country to answer critical questions on ongoing investigations relating to some security matters in parts of the country. The public may wish to note that the law will appropriately take its course..”
When contacted by an online news portal, Gumi, who had also played some roles in releasing other kidnap victims in the Northwest, said he had no information on Mamu’s arrest.
“I was not harassed at the Nigerian Airport until I got to Cairo when the security officials there told me that they had orders to arrest me by the Nigerian Department of State Security (DSS). We were arrested alongside my family members for the whole day at Cairo Airport,” Mr. Mamu told Daily Trust.
But a management staff of the Desert Herald, Mada accused the Federal Government of contriving the arrest and deportation of Mamu from Egypt.
“In its efforts to intimidate and harass the publisher of Desert Herald newspaper, Malam Tukur Mamu, the Federal Government has surreptitiously contrived the arrest and deportation of the publisher as well as members of his family while on their way to the holy land for lesser Hajj”, Mada alleged in a statement.
“On the 5th September 2022, Mamu alongside his family planned the journey to Saudi Arabia to perform lesser Hajj. They travelled through Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport and departed exactly at 2 pm aboard Egypt Airlines. They are expected to return to Nigeria on 20th September 2022, he added..”
According to him, “Immediately after their departure, we received credible information that men and officers of NIA (Nigeria Intelligence Agency) had stormed the airport with intent to stop him from travelling.
“But their attempt to frustrate the journey was not successful as he had already left the airport en route Cairo. But in their desperation to expound a pound of flesh, they forcefully retrieved copies of his travelling documents from immigration.
“On arrival in Cairo, Malam Tukur Mamu and family members were arrested and detained for almost 24 hours and later deported to Nigeria on the strict request and instructions of the Nigerian government.
“Mallam Tukur Mamu is a responsible citizen who voluntarily engaged in negotiations that led to the release of about 20 passengers of the train hijacked by gunmen.
“His patriotic mission to ensure the safety of the hapless passengers made him a target of blackmail by unscrupulous elements in the government who are hell-bent on punishing him for this noble but dangerous sacrifice for the fatherland.
“Such threats and intimidations have forced him to reveal a number of times that his life was under serious threat.
“Due to numerous threats to his life and conspiracy from the side of security agents to frame him, he withdrew from the said negotiations but from his latest sojourn, it appears that those who are desperately braying for his head are still bent on carrying out their odious plans.”
