A prosecution witness from the Department of State Services (DSS) on Tuesday told the Federal High Court in Abuja that terrorism negotiator, Tukur Mamu, allegedly received N50 million from the leader of the terror group responsible for the 2022 Abuja–Kaduna train attack.
Testifying as the sixth prosecution witness in the ongoing trial, the DSS operative said the money was paid by the militant leader known as “Shugaba,” who coordinated the deadly March 28, 2022 attack that left at least eight passengers dead and dozens abducted.
The witness also alleged that the terrorists sought Mamu’s guidance on how to bolster their online operations. According to him, the group asked Mamu to teach them how to open a website to support their activities.
He further told the court that the DSS had earlier established during its investigations that Mamu advised the terrorists to bypass formal government channels during negotiations with families of kidnapped victims. The operative said Mamu allegedly encouraged the group to negotiate directly with families instead of engaging with the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) committee constituted by the Federal Government to manage the crisis.
The testimony was given while the witness interpreted audio recordings purportedly extracted from Mamu’s interrogation in Egypt before he was repatriated to Nigeria in 2022.
Charges Against Mamu
Mamu, a Kaduna-based publisher who positioned himself as a mediator during the hostage negotiations, is facing multiple terrorism-related charges. These include:
Receiving ransoms from families of abducted Abuja–Kaduna train passengers
Dealing in terrorist funds
Obstructing the work of the CDS negotiation committee
Exchanging voice notes with a Boko Haram spokesperson
Despite the allegations, Mamu has denied all wrongdoing. He has also filed a fundamental rights suit against the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), challenging his designation as a “terrorist” while his trial is still ongoing. Mamu argues that such a designation violates his constitutional right to the presumption of innocence.
Background to the 2022 Train Attack
The Abuja–Kaduna train attack remains one of Nigeria’s most brazen terrorist incidents. On March 28, 2022, armed militants detonated explosives on the rail track before opening fire on passengers. At least eight people were killed while more than 60 others were kidnapped. Negotiations for the release of the hostages stretched over several months, during which Mamu played a central and controversial intermediary role.
Trial Adjourned to February 2026
After Tuesday’s proceedings, the trial judge adjourned the matter until February 23, 2026, for the adoption of final written addresses by all parties.
The court is expected to consider arguments relating to Section 49 of the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, as well as Section 36 of the Nigerian Constitution, which guarantees fair hearing and the presumption of innocence.
