*Nigerians urged to let government, state agents do their work to secure country
By OUR REPORTER
More details have emerged on the real reason Malam Tukur Mamu, the publisher of Kaduna-based Daily Herald Newspaper and negotiator for Kaduna attackers, was arrested by security agents in Cairo, Egypt, on Tuesday September 6, 2022.
A media report said, citing security sources, said beyond his relationship with insurgents and alleged involvement in collection of ransom and taking same to terrorists in exchange for kidnapped victims in Nigeria, Mamu was also arrested because of his “Strong ties with a terror group in Sinai area in Egypt”.
Sinai Peninsula is the northeastern extremity of Egypt and adjoins Israel and the Gaza Strip on the east. Like in Nigeria, despite the decrease in the frequency of attacks in recent years, militants remain active and pose a serious threat to Egyptian security operatives and other symbols of Sinai, the report explained.
Mamu denied wrongdoing saying he was on a legitimate journey to Saudi Arabia.
Although the report gave impression that the Kaduna publisher, who was involved in the controversial negotiations that led to the release of several abducted passengers of the March 28 Abuja-Kaduna train attack, was arrested together with his family by operatives of the Department of State Services (SSS) shortly after he was repatriated to Nigeria from Egypt, The DEFENDER’s checks revealed that he arrest was actually made by Egyptian security agents while the DSS in Nigeria only received and took the main suspect into custody.
The DEFENDER reported Wednesday that Mamu, while breaking the news of his arrest, said it was done by Egyptian security operatives although adding that at the instance of Nigerian government.
Mamu was whisked away by security operatives shortly after the Egypt Air plane, which returned him from Cairo touched down at the Malam Aminu Kano International Airport (MAKIA) at 1:55pm on Wednesday September 7.
He was said to be on his way to Saudi Arabia for lesser Hajj, travelling alongside his two wives namely; Fatima Bashir Mamu and Aisha Salisu Mamu as well as his eldest son, Faisal Tukur Mamu, and his brother-in-law Ibrahim Hassan Tinja.
In a report by Daily Trust, which appears to justify the role of Mamu, Nigerian authorities were said to have been accused of not doing enough to secure the release of kidnap victims whenever such incidents occur, a development that makes it necessary for desperate families to devise other means, including ransom payments to liberate their loved ones for fear of being killed.
The government, however, was revealed by our findings not to be as docile as the report claims because, according to our The DEFENDER, the business of securing kidnap victims alive from terrorist den requires tactics and wisdom beyond comprehension of the ordinary man.
But panic of the families, the report said, is what brought Mamu to the limelight as he openly and severally declared that he secured the release of most of the train victims even though he persistently denied collecting ransom from families of the victims and taking them to the terrorists.
From our findings, families in the unfortunate situation of kidnap are better standing with what government does than rush to pay ransom because proceeds of ransom provide more oxygen with which terrorists’ weaponry is funded and members get more active.
DSS
The Department of State Services (DSS) said yesterday that Mamu was in its custody. Dr Peter Afunanya, the spokesman for the agency confirmed in a statement sent to The DEFENDER.
“The DSS has been inundated with enquires in respect of the arrest or otherwise of Tukur Manu, the self-acclaimed Kaduna train hostage negotiator. This is to confirm that Manu, as a person of interest, was intercepted by Nigeria’s foreign partners in 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 Manu 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,” he said.
In the meantime, responding to condemnations, by Mamu’s family and management of his Daily Herald Newspaper, of the arrest, some respondents not wanting to be mentioned cautioned against people raising human rights issues or whatever complaint whenever the security agencies are doing their work to secure Nigeria, if truly their criticisms of government over insecurity are genuinely patriotic.
“We are the ones criticising the government, the President and security forces that they have lost control of situation. Although that assertion is not true but when you and I can see what the government is doing to tackle the insecurity, it can only be fair that you allow it do its work.,” one of them said.
He gave kudos to Northerners and Muslim Ummah of Nigeria for their continued cooperation with government by not staging protest or raising objection whenever the affected suspect falls on their side, unlike Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) and Southerners that will raise dusts of sentiments if otherwise.
He cited the issue of Evans, the billionaire kidnap kingpin, the Adamawa killers sentenced to death by court for killing a Fulani man and throwing his body in the mud, the killers of Major General Idris Alkali in Jos, whose people openly protested as Christians against military search for his body and CAN openly defended them against justice.
