The Department of State Services (DSS) have raided the residences of two relatives of Tukur Mamu, the Kaduna train hostage negotiator.
In a statement on Friday, Ibrahim Mada, Special Projects Manager, Desert Herald newspaper, published by Mamu, said the DSS stormed the Kaduna residences of the publisher’s brother, Ibrahim Mamu, and his brother in-law, Abdullahi Mashi, in the early hours of Friday.
Mada, said Mashi was whisked away by the DSS operatives after his house was searched. The statement also cautioned the DSS against “media trial” of the terrorists negotiator who was arrested on Thursday.
Mada faulted claims by the DSS that military accoutrements and huge amounts in various currencies were recovered during Thursday’s raid on Kaduna residence and office of Mamu, saying the military uniform found in the house, belonged to his son who is a Naval officer.
Mamu was arrested on Tuesday in Cairo, the Egyptian capital, alongside his family on their way to Saudi Arabia for lesser hajj and was repatriated to Nigeria on Thursday.
The publisher who is also a media consultant to popular Islamic cleric, Sheikh Ahmad Gumi, had been in the forefront of negotiations with terrorists for the release of the abducted passengers of the March 28, Abuja- Kaduna train attack.
Though he later withdrew from the negotiations following alleged plans to blackmail him, millions of naira was said to have been paid as ransom for the release of 39 of the 62 victims who were freed in batches.
The DSS had in a statement on Thursday said Mamu’s arrest followed request by Nigeria’s Military, Law Enforcement and Intelligence Community to their foreign partners to bring him back to the country to answer critical questions on ongoing investigations relating to some security matters in parts of the country as he has questions to answer on security issues in some parts of the country.
The DSS also said large sums of money in various currencies and denominations as well as military accoutrements were recovered after raiding his Kaduna residence.
Mada however called on the DSS to “avoid media trial of Malam Tukur Mamu”. He said, “The DSS in a press release on Thursday 8th September, 2022 tittled ‘UPDATE ON TUKUR MAMU’ claimed during their raids on his residence and office in Kaduna that a large sum of money in various currencies and denominations as well as military accoutrements were recovered.
“While the DSS did not indicate the actual amount of the so-called large sum found in his house and office, we want to make it clear that the ‘military accoutrements’ found in his house are military kits (uniform and barret) belonging to his son, Yahaha Bello, a Naval officer who graduated from NDA”.
He said Bello was brought up by Mamu and he lives in his house. The statement said, “about two weeks ago, Mamu’s younger brother, Muhammad Mamu, an Air Force officer was killed while on counter terrorism’s mission in Zamfara.”
The statement maintained that, “Apart from detaining Tukur Mamu with his two sons, Faisal Tukur Mamu and Ibrahim Husaini Mamu, the DSS opperatives early this morning, at 12 am (Friday 9th September, 2022) stormed the residence of Abdullahi Mashi collected handset phones of the residents as well as cash and other valuable in the house and whisked him away. Mashi is an in-law to Mamu.
“The DSS also raided the apartment of Ibrahim Husaini Mamu at about 3am this morning. They could not find anything incriminating in all the houses they raided”.
