How Tukur Mamu, Kaduna train hostage negotiator, was arrested in Egypt

Alhaji Tukur Mamu, the publisher of Kaduna State-based Desert Herald Newspaper and lead negotiator between the terrorists and families of passengers kidnapped from the attacked Abuja-Kaduna train, was arrested by the Egyptian Police on Monday.

Mamu, who is also the media consultant to Sheikh Ahmad Gumi, was arrested in Cairo, the Egyptian capital, alongside his family members.

However, the Desert Herald Newspaper’s Head of Special Projects, Ibrahim Mada, in his confirmation of the arrest on Wednesday accused the Nigerian government of contriving the arrest and deportation of Mamu from Egypt to Nigeria.

Mada said “unscrupulous elements” in the Nigerian government targeted Mamu because he voluntarily engaged in negotiations that led to the release of about 20 passengers of the ill-fated train hijacked by gunmen.

Giving details of the arrest, Mada said; “In its efforts to intimidate and harass the publisher of Desert Herald newspaper, Malam Tukur Mamu, the federal government has surreptitiously contrived the arrest and deportation of the publisher as well as members of his family while on their way to the holy land for lesser Hajj.

“On the 5th September 2022, Mamu alongside his family planned the journey to Saudi Arabia to perform lesser Hajj.

“They travelled through Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport and departed exactly at 2:00 pm aboard Egypt Airlines.

“They are expected to return to Nigeria on 20th September 2022.

“Immediately after their departure, we received credible information that men and officers of NIA had stormed the airport with intent to stop him from travelling.

“But their attempt to frustrate the journey was not successful as he has already left the airport en route to Cairo. But in their desperation to expound a pound of flesh, they forcefully retrieved copies of his travelling documents from immigration.

“On arrival in Cairo, Malam Tukur Mamu and family members were arrested and detained for almost 24 hours and later deported back to Nigeria on the strict request and instructions of Nigeria government.

“Mallam Tukur Mamu is a responsible citizen who voluntary engaged in negotiations that led to the release of about 20 passengers of the I’ll fated train hijacked by gunmen.

“His patriotic mission to ensure the safety of the hapless passengers made him a target of blackmail by unscrupulous elements in the government who are hell-bent in punishing him for this noble but dangerous sacrifice for the fatherland. Such threats and intimidations have forced him to reveal a number of times that his life was under serious threat.

“Due to numerous threats to his life and conspiracy from the side of security agents to frame him, he withdrew from the said negotiations but from his latest sojourn, it appears that those who are desperately praying for his head are still hell-bent in carrying out their odious dastardly plans.

“But it is our fervent hope that the evil machination of these desperate elements will be nixed by the fact that Allah is always by the side of the oppressed. This evil machination like the ones before it, shall also come to pass”.

Meanwhile, prior to his arrest and deportation in Egypt, Tukur Mamu seems to know too much about the activities of the terrorists in Nigeria.

On July 6, Mamu claimed he had prior knowledge of the attack on Kuje prison and shared his intelligence with security forces, but nothing was done to avert the attack.

According to him, the group that attacked the prison is the same group that attacked the Kaduna-bound train in March.

In August, Mamu also revealed that one of the attackers of the Abuja-Kauna train was planning to marry 21-year-old Azurfa Lois John, the youngest victim of the train attack.

While some members of the public commended Mamu for his role, many are asking how he gets to know so much about the activities of terrorists without the help of the Federal Government.