Tukur Mamu, the self-appointed bandit negotiator and the Desert Herald publisher is a lonely man now, and might be so for the next 60 days as DSS piles up against him.
Family and associates defending him earlier have since gone silent. No lawyer is even holding brief for him while the service brought charges ranging from supplying logistics, aiding, and abetting acts of terrorism against the publisher.
In affidavit in support of an ex parte application before a federal high court in Abuja on Tuesday, the agency claims it found pieces of evidence to support the charges, and the motion for further detention.
DSS lawyer Hamza Pandogari, in the affidavit, claimed, “A duly signed search warrant was executed in Mamu’s residence and office at No. 4, Ali Ladan Street, Sabon Kawo GRA and No. 14, Mamona Road, Anguwan Sarki, Kaduna State and various exhibits and items to establish his complicity with terrorists were recovered.”
Some of the items include: 151 dollars, 20 pounds sterling; 1, 530 Indian Rupees; one Saudi Riyald; 70 Dirham; one million, five hundred and six thousand naira; and 16 assorted foreign coins.
The DSS also alleged that two packs of pump action cartridges; 16 ATM (auto-mated machine) cards from both local and foreign banks; seven cheque books of different banks; six laptops; four tablets; 24 handsets and three international passports belonging to Mamu; one firearm licence; eight pieces of Nigerian Army uniforms; 16 pieces of Nigerian Naval uniforms, were among the 34 items recovered.
Earlier, according to the National Daily report, Mamu’s family and employees accused the DSS of terrorism the way it arrested and detained the publisher.
They also claimed the military uniforms belonged to Mamu’s brother who is a service member living with him, and the financial benefits the service said the negotiator got from interfacing with the Kaduna-train-attack bandits were excuses to persecute the man
But the DSS told the court –“that the defendant (Mamu) has used the cover of his profession as a journalist to aid both local and international terrorist groups”.
“That the action of the defendant has orchestrated the untimely death of several security personnel in North Central and North East parts of Nigeria.
“That the defendant has discreetly given several information to bandits and terrorists that escalated various acts of terrorism in Nigeria.”
The presiding judge, Justice Nkeonye Maha, granted the DSS application.