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Akinwande Soji-Ojo
The Department of State Services (DSS) has disclosed that former negotiator of kidnapped victims of the Abuja-Kaduna train, Mallam Tukur Mamu, is in its custody.
Mamu was arrested at Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport in Kano, on Wednesday afternoon.
The Kaduna-based publisher who was first arrested in Egypt was detained for 24 hours before he was flown back to Nigeria.
It was learnt that immediately the Egypt Air aircraft, which conveyed him and his family members, touched down in Kano around 1:55pm, he was immediately picked up by DSS operatives who were stationed at the entrance of the international wing of the airport minutes before the aircraft landed..
DSS in a statement by its spokesperson, Peter Afunanya, confirmed Mamu’s arrest, saying the agency was grilling him over security issues.
“The Department of State Services (DSS) has been inundated with enquires in respect of the arrest or otherwise of Tukur Mamu, the self-acclaimed Kaduna Train hostage negotiator. 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 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 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,” he said.