The family of the embattled negotiator between the Federal Government and the Abuja-Kaduna train kidnappers has explained why the DSS found military items in his house.
The relatives of the detained terrorists’ negotiator, Tukur Mamu, have said the military accoutrements found during a search on his residence belongs to his nephew who is a Naval officer.
How it happened: Pulse had earlier reported that the Department of State Service (DSS) disclosed that security agencies who executed search warrant on the Desert Herald publisher’s home and office had found “incriminating materials.”
According to a statement by the spokesman of the service, Peter Afunanya, the items recovered from Mamu’s residence include military accoutrements and large stash of foreign currencies in different denominations.
More arrests made: The DSS also confirmed that Mamu, alongside his eldest son, Faisal, and his brother in-law, Ibrahim Tanja were in its custody and would be charged to court over alleged involvement in criminal activities.
The family kicks: Reacting to the allegations against the publisher, the management of Desert Herald released a statement on behalf of the family berating the DSS for, “the cooked up and phantom allegations the Department of Security Services (DSS) concocted in its desperation to give the publisher a bad name in order to rope him.”
The statement, issued by the newspaper’s head, Special Operations and Production Manager, Ibrahim Mada, questioned why the DSS made blanket statements without giving details despite the claim of critical national security for which Mamu was arrested.
The statement read: “We urge the Department of State Service to avoid media trial of Malam Tukur Mamu (Dan Iyan Fika), Publisher, Desert Herald Newspaper whom they arrested and kept in detention since on Tuesday 6th September.
“The DSS in a Press Release on Thursday 8th September 2022 titled ‘UPDATE ON TUKUR MAMU’ claimed during their raids on his residence and office in Kaduna that a large sum of money in various currencies and denominations, as well as military accoutrements, were recovered.
“While the DSS did not indicate the actual amount of the so-called large sum found in his house and office, we want to make it clear, that the ‘military accoutrements’ found in his house are military kits (uniform and barret) belonging to his son, Yahaha Bello, a Naval officer who graduated from the Nigerian Defence Academy(NDA).
“Bello was brought up by Tukur and he lives in his house.
“Recall that about two weeks ago, Tukur Mamu’s younger brother, Muhammad Saleh Mamu, an Air Force officer was killed while on a counter-terrorism mission in Zamfara.”
The statement read: “We view this deliberate distortion of facts with the intention of twisting narratives about Tukur Mamu with exception.
“The department made allusions that military accoutrements and hard currency were found in the home of Tukur Mamu with a view t sway public opinion against the publisher who has made supreme sacrifices towards nixing the raging insecurity in the land.”
“The public may wish to know that the military accoutrements found in the home of the publisher belongs to his nephew who is n officer of the Nigerian Navy. Tukur Mamu who played the role of a father, was responsible for the upkeep and school expenses of the nephew till he enrolled in the Nigerian Navy.
“Again in its desperation to smear the name of Mamu, the DSS said it has found huge amount of hard currency without stating how much it found. It is incumbent for the general public to know that the total amount of the hard currency found in Mamu’s house if converted into naira is less that N1.5m, yet the DSS is trying to make the situation look bad by saying huge haul of hard currency was found in his house.”
“At this point it is pertinent to ask when does it become a crime for someone to within his income limit had foreign currency in his house? Or is it a crime for one to have a member of his family in the Nigerian Armed Forces?
This distortion of information and media trial against Mamu is a pointer to the desperation of the DSS to rope the man at all cost for the sacrifices he is making to ensure an end to the raging insecurity in the land.”