Tukur mamu: Why we arrested terrorists’ negotiator – DSS

How did it happen: Pulse had earlier reported that Mamu was arrested in Cairo, the Egyptian capital where he was transiting to Saudi Arabia to perform Umrah (lesser Hajj) on Tuesday, September 6, 2022.

The former terrorists’ negotiator was arrested in the North African country alongside his family members and detained at the Cairo International Airport for 24 hours before he was repatriated to Nigeria on Wednesday, September 7, 2022.

Mamu is also the publisher of the Desert Herald Newspaper and the company had earlier described his arrest as an attempt to intimidate him.

In a statement on Wednesday by its Head, Special Projects, Ibrahim Mada, the Herald management accused the federal government of contriving the arrest and deportation of Mamu from Egypt.

Herald’s statement partly read: “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 in punishing him for this noble but dangerous sacrifice for the fatherland. Such threats and intimidations have forced him to reveal on 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 praying for his head are still hell-bent in carrying out their odious dastardly plans.

“But it is our fervent hope that the evil machination of these desperate elements will be nixed by the fact that Allah is always by the side of the oppressed. This evil machination like the ones before it, shall also come to pass.”

DSS disagrees: However, giving details on why the negotiator was arrested, the DSS in a statement by its spokesperson, Peter Afunanya, said the service arrested Mamu because he was a “person of interest.”

Afunanya, who confirmed that the DSS took Mamu into custody upon his return to the country on Wednesday, noted that he has some critical questions to answer on the ongoing investigations relating to some security matters in Nigeria.

DSS statement read: “The Department of State Services 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.”