A witness from the Department of State Services (DSS) on Tuesday told the Federal High Court, Abuja, that alleged terrorist negotiator, Tukur Mamu, received N50 million from “Shugaba,” the leader of the group responsible for the 2022 Abuja-Kaduna train attack and the abduction of passengers.
Mamu is standing trial on multiple terrorism-related charges. The Federal Government accuses him of receiving ransom payments from families of victims of the March 28, 2022 train attack, dealing in terrorist financing, obstructing the work of the Chief of Defence Staff’s committee set up to negotiate with the abductors, and maintaining communication with Boko Haram’s spokesperson, among other allegations.
At the resumed hearing, the sixth DSS witness informed the court that the terrorist group also asked Mamu to teach them how to create a website for their activities. The witness, who acted as an interpreter, was invited to translate the audio recordings of Mamu’s interrogation in Egypt prior to his repatriation to Nigeria.
The DSS had earlier claimed that Mamu encouraged the terrorists to negotiate directly with families of abducted victims rather than with the government-appointed negotiation committee.
In a separate development, Mamu has filed a fundamental rights enforcement suit before the Federal High Court in Abuja, challenging his designation as a “terrorist” by the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN). He argued that the designation violates his constitutional rights, particularly as he is still standing trial and presumed innocent under the law.
Justice of the Federal High Court subsequently adjourned the case until February 23, 2026, for the adoption of final written addresses. The court is expected to consider arguments relating to Section 49 of the Terrorism Prevention Act and Section 36 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
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