Mallam Tukur Mamu, the lead negotiator between terrorists and the passengers kidnapped from a Kaduna-bound train in March, has been arrested in Cairo, capital of Egypt, with his family members.
According to Daily Trust, the Kaduna-based publisher of Desert Herald newspaper, was arrested on the orders of the Nigerian Government.
Mamu, who was on his way to Saudi Arabia for lesser Hajj, was detained at the Cairo International Airport for 24 hours and is being repatriated back to Nigeria.
Speaking with Daily Trust, Mamu said he left Nigeria on Tuesday and after being investigated by the Egyptian security agencies, nothing incriminating was found in his possession.
Mamu insinuated a plan by the Nigerian government to detain him in another country just as was done to Yoruba nation agitator, Sunday Igboho, but that could not happen because the Egyptian government found that his papers were genuine.
It will be recalled that Mamu pulled out of the negotiation with terrorists after he alleged a threat to his life and attempted blackmail by the Nigerian Government.
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The Department of State Services (DSS) says the arrested Kaduna-Abuja train hostage negotiator, Tukur Manu, is now in their custody.
A statement released by Peter Afunanya, spokesperson of the agency, says Manu, as a person of interest, was intercepted by Nigeria’s foreign partners in Cairo, Egypt on 6th September 2022 while on his way to Saudi Arabia.
”He has since been returned to the country, today, 7th September, 2022 and taken into the Service’s custody. The act followed a request by Nigeria’s Military, Law Enforcement and Intelligence Community to their foreign partners to bring back Manu to the country” the statement in part read
Afunanya stated that Manu was brought in to answer critical questions on ongoing investigations relating to some security matters in parts of the country. He assured the public that the law will appropriately take its course in the investigation.