The Department of State Services (DSS) has been urged not to turn the arrest of Desert Herald Weekly’s publisher, Tukur Mamu, to media trial, as the ‘military accoutrements’ found in his house during raids belong to his son, who is a naval officer.
Mamu, who is the spokesman of Sheikh Ahmed Gumi and negotiator for the victims of the March 28 Abuja-Kaduna train attack hostages, was arrested on Tuesday September 6, 2022 by the Interpol at the Cairo Airport in Egypt while waiting to connect flight to Saudi Arabia for the lesser Hajj along with his two wives and sons – Faisal and Ibrahim.
They were deported to Nigeria on Wednesday and picked up by operatives of the DSS at the Malam Aminu Kano International Airport Kano. Though the two wives have since been released.
But the Desert Herald and his family have in a statement signed by the Special Projects Manager, Desert Herald Newspaper, Ibrahim Mada, decried continued raids and ransacking of Mamu’s office and residence, that of his in-laws and family members, noting that they won’t find anything incriminating.
The statement further stated that the military kits, a uniform and beret found during the raid on his house belong to his son, Yahaya Bello, who is a naval officer and NDA graduate.
“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 tittled ‘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 beret) belonging to his son, Yahaha Bello, a Naval officer who graduated from 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 counter terrorism mission in Zamfara.
“Apart from detaining Tukur Mamu with his two sons, Faisal Tukur Mamu and Ibrahim Husaini Mamu, DSS operatives early this morning, at 12am (Friday 9th September, 2022) stormed the residence of Abdullahi Mashi, collected handset phones of the residents, as well as cash and other valuable in the house and whisked him away. Mashi is an in-law to Mamu.
“The DSS also raided the apartment of Ibrahim Husaini Mamu at about 3am this morning. They could not find anything incriminating in all the houses they raided,” Ibrahim Mada said.