Again, Court Refuses Bail Application of Tukur Mamu
The Federal High Court, Abuja Division, presided over by Justice Mohammed Umar, has once more declined a fresh bail application filed on behalf of detained alleged terrorists’ negotiator, Tukur Mohammed Mamu.
In his ruling delivered on Wednesday, Justice Umar acknowledged the applicant’s complaints regarding ill health but directed the Department of State Services (DSS) to ensure that Mamu is taken to an appropriate medical facility for treatment, rather than granting him bail. The court further ordered that Mamu’s counsel may nominate a health facility of choice, and directed the DSS to allow him access to his family members.
The judge held that the prosecution had demonstrated diligence in prosecuting the matter, thereby disqualifying the applicant from bail on that ground. He reiterated that one of the recognised bases for granting bail is lack of prosecutorial diligence, a condition not satisfied in this case.
This ruling marks the third refusal of bail since Mamu’s arraignment on 21 March 2023, when the Federal Government charged him on a 10-count information bordering on terrorism financing and related offences.
Mamu was arrested on 7 September 2022 at the Cairo International Airport by Egyptian security officials and subsequently repatriated to Nigeria. He is alleged to have acted as a negotiator between the terrorists who attacked the Abuja–Kaduna train in March 2022 and families of abducted victims, while allegedly diverting portions of ransom proceeds for personal benefit.
Although reportedly nominated by the terrorists to liaise with the Federal Government’s Committee on the release of the victims, Mamu is alleged to have instead coordinated ransom payments directly with families and facilitated their delivery to the terrorists.
