Kaduna High Court orders DSS to charge terrorist negotiator Mamu to court

• Published date: 24 January 2023
• Publication title: Nigeria - The Nation

The Kaduna State High Court has ordered the Department of State Services (DSS) to 'immediately' charge Tukur Mamu to court, if the service has evidence of his alleged involvement in ransom negotiation on behalf of terrorists who kidnapped the Abuja-Kaduna train passengers on March 28, 2022.

Mamu, the Publisher of Desert Herald and media consultant to popular Kaduna-based Islamic cleric, Shiehk Ahmed Gumi, was arrested in Cairo, the capital of Egypt, on September 6, 2022, en route Saudi Arabia with his family members.

Mamu, who was at the forefront of negotiations for the release of the abducted Abuja-Kaduna train passengers, was detained at the Cairo Airport and later moved to Nigeria before he was picked up by the DSS.

He has remained in custody since then.

But in a Motion of Notice, dated November 22, 2022 through his lawyers Mohammed Sani Katu (SAN), Solomon Utuagha, Auwal Muktar Sirajo, and Aisha Musa, the detainee is seeking an order enforcing his fundamental human rights 'as guaranteed, enshrined and protected by sections 34, 35, 36 and 41 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic 1999, Order 2 of the Fundamental Rights (Enforcement Procedure) Rules, 2009, and Articles 3, 5 and 6 of the African Charter on Human and People's Rights for same being breached or likely to be breached by the respondents, their agents, privies or assigns'.

Mamu is also seeking 'an order of this honourable court directing the respondents to immediately arraign and charge the applicants before a court of competent jurisdiction for any offence(s), as disclosed from their investigation (if any),' among others.

At the hearing yesterday, Justice Edward Andow granted one of the prayers that the applicant be charged to court...