Mamu, an aide to Ahmad Gumi, popular Islamic cleric, had been involved in negotiations for the release of the passengers who were abducted during an attack on the train in March 2022.
The Nigerian government has said the arrest of Tukur Mamu, publisher of Desert Herald newspaper, and terrorists’ negotiator will not stop talks for the release of the Abuja-Kaduna train passengers.
Mamu, an aide to Ahmad Gumi, popular Islamic cleric, had been involved in negotiations for the release of the passengers who were abducted during an attack on the train in March 2022.
Addressing newsmen on Thursday after a national security council meeting chaired by President Muhammadu Buhari, Muhammad Dingyadi, the minister of police affairs, said there are other people involved in the negotiations.
He said, “Efforts are ongoing to have all Nigerians in the captivity of either kidnappers or bandits and we are not sparing anything to get them released."
“The matter is in court and the court has ruled accordingly. We are not sparing any effort to release our abducted brothers and sisters, who are still in captivity.
“Maybe you only came to know Mamu because he made himself known. There are other negotiators who are there negotiating on behalf of those captives.
“The parents are also there; security agencies are also there; we are all negotiating. So, don’t say because Mamu has been arrested, there’s no negotiator,”
The Department of State Services (DSS) had told a Federal High Court, Abuja, that the detained terrorists' negotiator, Mamu, was part of an international terrorists’ network using the cover of journalism to commit a crime.
SaharaReporters had reported how Mamu was arrested at the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport after he was repatriated from Egypt where he had been detained while on his way to Saudi Arabia.
Speaking on Mamu’s arrest, the Department of State Services (DSS) had said the publisher had questions to answer on security matters.
Meanwhile, on Tuesday, a Federal High Court in Abuja gave the DSS the go-ahead to detain the publisher for 60 more days.