Fresh facts emerged on how a Kaduna-based publisher Tukur Mamu allegedly thwarted the federal government’s efforts to free the passengers abducted by terrorists after an attack on a Kaduna-bound train.
This was disclosed by a member of the Presidential Committee that facilitated the release of the 23 remaining hostages, Dr. AbdulMalik Atta, in an interview with Channels Television.
He said Mr. Mamu did everything within his powers to sabotage the federal government’s efforts at freeing the hostages for his interest.
On March 28, dozens of terrorists launched a lethal attack on the Kaduna-bound train, killing nine persons, injuring 28 others, and kidnapping 63 passengers.
On June 11, Mr. Mamu in collaboration with Kaduna-based cleric Sheikh Ahmad Gumi facilitated the release of 11 passengers, comprising six women and five men.
Mr. Mamu later said he pulled out from the negotiation between the terrorists and security agencies, over the latter’s alleged insincerity.
However, even after his withdrawal from the negotiation, Mr. Mamu continued to play backend roles, chief of which include negotiating ransom on behalf of the hostages’ families and hosting the freed passengers in his office before reuniting them with their families.
The last batch of the victims numbering 23, was released on Wednesday, bringing an end to the six-month-old crisis. The victims’ release was facilitated by the seven-man’s Chief of Defence Staff Action Committee.
Dr. Atta, a son of one of the kidnapped victims, alleged that the kidnappers never asked for ransom, rather it was Mr. Mamu that introduced money into the whole issue which eventually derailed the process.
He said, “Because of Mamu’s introduction of money into the rescue process, the victims’ families had parted with over $200,000 before the chief of defence staff’s intervention.
“The Presidential Committee made life-threatening sacrifices, as we had to go into the forest to meet with the terrorists and even slept in the bush.
“It has been six months and one week, but we thank God everything has come to an end now, thanks to the support from the federal government through the office of the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS). We were able to go into the bush and bring back the remaining of our family members.
“We achieved this not through somebody who betrayed the committee and the government, I am talking about the person of Tukur Mamu who did everything within his reach to thwart the efforts of the government for his interest. As we all know, he is in the hands of the government now. But we thank God, all our family members are back now.
“The bandits never asked for money ab-initio, Tukur Mamu introduced money into the whole thing and derailed the process and kept everybody for the past six months.
“We parted away with about 200,000 US Dollars. Thank God the CDS took it upon himself and put in place a committee that never asked a kobo. Every sacrifice being done so far has been personal towards ensuring the release of the victims.
“In the committee, I can assure you that I worked with credible people of the highest order. If I have my way, all of them would be given national honours. We risked our lives, went to the bush, we slept there in the bush.
“We heard the complaints of those people (the terrorists), even though we knew what they have done is wrong, but we had to engage them.
“Going forward, our security agencies must synergise their operations and the government should open more room for further engagements.”
On September 7, operatives of the Department of State Service (DSS) arrested Mr. Mamu. He was picked up at the Malam Aminu Kano International Airport in Kano after he arrived from Cairo, Egypt.
The DSS arraigned Mr. Mamu before Justice Nkeonye Maha of the Federal High Court, Abuja, charging him with being a logistic supplier, aiding and abetting terrorism. The court granted the security agency leave to detain Mamu for 60 days in the first instance, pending the conclusion of the investigation.
