••• MAMU IN OUR CUSTODY -DSS
The Federal Government on Wednesday put up an uncoordinated response on the issue of the arrest of the lead negotiator of the Abuja/Kaduna train attack, Tukur Mamu, by the International Police in Egypt.
While the Federal Government created the impression that it was not behind the arrest, the country’s secret police, the Department of State Services has said that he was arrested by the agency in connection with ongoing security investigations.
The Interpol, on Tuesday, quizzed Mamu, who is spokesman to Islamic Cleric, Ahmad Gumi, and detained him at the Cairo International Airport, while he was awaiting a connecting flight to Saudi Arabia.
Mamu, the Publisher of Desert Herald Newspaper in Kaduna who worked for the release of the majority of the March 2022 Kaduna Train abductees, was with his two wives and one other person when he was picked up.
The Minister of Information, Lai Mohammed, told State House Correspondents at the end of the Federal Executive Council Meeting that the government only became aware when the news of the arrest broke in the media.
He said that he was not in a position to say much about the arrest of the negotiator whose efforts resulted in the release of many of the hostages as FEC was still in session when the matter was carried in the news.
The Minister stated further that there was nothing to prove that the Federal Government was involved in the arrest of Mamu
He said: “Like you rightly observed, this story broke while we were in Council, then we’re going to unbreak it when we leave Council.
“On a more serious note, what I’m saying is that if a story broke while we were in Council, there’s no way I can give you any development on it, but please let me find out and ask.
“Secondly, what is the proof, what is the evidence that the federal government ordered it, but like I said, it will be a bit unfair to expect me to react to a story that broke while I was in Council.”
The Network gathered that Mamu was released on Wednesday to the Department of State Security (DSS), in Nigeria, on arrival.
Meanwhile, the Department of State Services (DSS) has claimed responsibility for the arrest of the self-acclaimed Abuja-Kaduna Train hostage negotiator.
The Service said the need to declare his arrest open was to clear air on his whereabouts because they have been inundated with enquires in respect of the arrest or otherwise of Tukur Mamu, the self-acclaimed Kaduna Train hostage negotiator.
A statement from the Public Relations Officer, Department of State Services,
National Headquarters, Abuja, Peter Afunanya, on Wednesday confirmed the arrest of the Herald Publisher
“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 Nigeria, 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.” The statement reads.
