A Department of State Services operative on Tuesday told the Federal High Court in Abuja that terrorist leader Shugaba offered Mr. Tukur Mamu a N50 million share from a ransom payment linked to the 2022 Abuja–Kaduna train attack.
The officer, who appeared as the sixth prosecution witness (PW-6) in Mamu’s ongoing terrorism trial, testified behind a screen for security reasons. Led in evidence by DSS counsel David Kaswe, he narrated how the alleged terrorists’ negotiator interacted with the group holding kidnapped train passengers.
According to the witness, four voice notes extracted from Mamu’s devices during interrogation were played in court. The recordings were recovered after Mamu’s arrest in Egypt and subsequent return to Nigeria.
“The first voice note that played was for the defendant (Mamu) fixing a date for delivery of ransom.
“The second voice note that played for five minutes was the voice of Shugaba, the leader of the terrorist group.
“In the voice note, he was appreciating the defendant’s effort and asked him to remove N50 million for his personal use from a particular tranche of ransom sent to them.
“In the last voice note that played, Baba Adamu, who is their spokesperson, was heard requesting the defendant to help them procure speakers and a public address system for their preaching activities, and the defendant responded that he was going to look into their request.
“They also requested that the defendant teach them how to open a website for their activities,” the witness said.
The News Agency of Nigeria reported that Mamu was accused of persuading the terrorists to negotiate directly with families of the abducted passengers instead of the Chief of Defence Staff Committee set up by the Federal Government, allegedly to secure financial benefits.
The witness recalled that after Mamu was detained in Egypt, he called his in-law, Mubarak Tinja, instructing him to move cash, vehicles and “other valuables” from his Kaduna residence to evade security detection.
“The defendant was subsequently arrested in Egypt and returned back to Nigeria, where a team of investigators was on the ground to receive him.
“A duly endorsed search warrant was duly executed in his property and office in Kaduna, during which cash, in both local and foreign currencies; vehicles and other valuables were recovered.
“In compliance with his directive to his in-law, Mubarak Tinja, and the other dependants in the house, some cars and cash were moved out of the house to various locations,” he said.
Investigators later traced about $300,000 and seven vehicles, including a Toyota Camry (Muscle), Peugeot 5008, Lexus, Mercedes E350 and a Hyundai, which were tendered in evidence.
The witness further stated that Mamu handed over “his Samsung tablet and two of his phones” upon arrival in Nigeria, and these were taken for forensic examination. The extracted content, he said, formed part of the interrogation materials.
“He (the defendant) was subsequently interviewed, during which the content of his phones and other items was presented to him.
“During the interview, the defendant admitted giving instruction to Mubarak to move his variables from his house.
“He also admitted communicating with the terrorists, using his voice notes, which were extracted from his two phones and Samsung tablet.”
He also confirmed that Mamu acknowledged ownership of a pump-action gun found in his home, though investigators discovered the licence had expired in December 2021.
The court admitted the compact discs and flash drives containing the voice notes after the defence reserved objections until the final address. Eight statements made by Mamu and videos of their recording sessions were also admitted.
The witness added that two victims of the train attack had submitted written statements but were unwilling to appear in court due to fear and trauma. Their statements, one in English and the other in Hausa, were admitted without objection.
Prosecuting counsel Kaswe informed the court of plans to file an application for an inspection of items recovered from Mamu’s residence and office.
Justice Mohammed Umar adjourned the matter to November 26 at 11 a.m. for continuation of trial.
