Tobias Sylvester
The Department of State Services (DSS) has denied withdrawing a suit it filed at a Federal High Court in Abuja against the former terrorists’ negotiator, Tukur Mamu.
DSS Says It Still Has Case Against Bandits’ Negotiator, Tukur Mamu
KanyiDaily recalls that the DSS had filed the suit before the court for permission to detain Mamu for 60 days pending investigation.
On Thursday, it was widely reported that the secret police withdrew the suit to detain the negotiator for 60 more days after his arrest.
DSS’ counsel, A. M. Danlami, reportedly told Justice Nkeonye Maha shortly after the matter was called for hearing that the matter had been overtaken by events.
He said: “My lord, this matter is slated for hearing today. However, the matter has been overtaken by events. We wish to withdraw the suit.”
Following the application, Justice Maha struck out the suit against Mamu.
“Application of the learner counsel succeeds. The application is hereby struck out having been withdrawn,” she ruled.
But when contacted by on Thursday night by Daily Trust, DSS spokesman, Peter Afunanya described the report as “misleading”.
Afunanya maintained that the DSS has never withdrawn any case against Mamu, noting that the matter is a continuous process.
Mamu, who was at the forefront of negotiations for the release of the Abuja-Kaduna train captives, was arrested with his family in Cairo, Egypt’s capital.
The publisher of Desert Herald was detained with his family members at Cairo International Airport while they were on their way for lesser hajj in Saudi Arabia.
The Egyptian authorities repatriated Mamu back to Nigeria before he was arrested again by DSS operatives at the Malam Aminu Kano International Airport in Kano.
The Kaduna publisher, who is currently in the custody of the DSS to answer questions related to some critical security matters, was arrested together with his family shortly after he was repatriated to Nigeria from Egypt.
On Thursday, DSS operatives stormed Mamu’s residence and office, and recovered military accouterments, different currencies and denominations and other “incriminating materials.”
But Mamu’s family said that the military accouterments found in his home belonged to his nephew who is an officer of the Nigerian Navy.
The family, who also accused the DSS of concocting false allegations in order to give the publisher a bad name, said that the total amount of the hard currency found in Mamu’s house if converted into naira is less that N1.5m.
KanyiDaily recalls that a security source had revealed that Tukur Mamu was arrested because of his “Strong ties with terrorist groups and N2bn ransom racketeering”
