A Department of State Services (DSS) witness has told the Federal High Court in Abuja that the terrorist negotiator, Tukur Mamu, received N50 million from the leader of the terrorist group behind the 2022 Abuja–Kaduna train attack.
The DSS witness, identified as the sixth prosecution witness, who testified in court on Tuesday in the ongoing trial of Mamu told the court that the payment was made by “Shugaba”, the leader of the terrorist group that carried out the attack on March 28, 2022, during which, at least eight passengers were killed and dozens abducted.
The witness also informed the court that the militants sought Mamu’s guidance in expanding their operations online.
The witness said the terrorist group asked Mamu to teach them how to open a website for their activities.
He added that the DSS had earlier established that Mamu advised the terrorists to bypass official channels during the hostage crisis.
The agency claimed that Mamu advised the terrorist group to negotiate directly with the victims’ family members and not the Chief of Defence Staff’s Committee set up by the federal government.
The witness testified while interpreting audio recordings allegedly captured during Mamu’s interrogation in Egypt before he was repatriated to Nigeria.
Mamu, a Kaduna-based publisher and self-styled mediator, is facing multiple terrorism-related charges.
These include receiving ransoms from families of victims of the Abuja–Kaduna train attack, dealing with terrorist funds, obstructing the activities of the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) negotiation committee, and exchanging voice notes with a Boko Haram spokesperson.
However, Manu has consistently denied wrongdoing, and has reportedly filed a fundamental rights enforcement suit against the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), for designating him a “terrorist” while he is still undergoing trial.
He told the court that he is seeking to clear his name, arguing that the designation violates his constitutional presumption of innocence.
The Abuja–Kaduna train attack of March 28, 2022, remains one of Nigeria’s deadliest kidnapping incidents.
Armed terrorists bombed the rail track, opened fire on passengers, killed at least eight people, and abducted more than 60 others.
Negotiations for the release of the hostages dragged on for months, during which Mamu emerged as a prominent intermediary before his eventual arrest in 2022.
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 will consider arguments relating to Section 49 of the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act and Section 36 of the Nigerian Constitution on fair hearing and presumption of innocence.
