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I paid N80m ransom to Tukur Mamu for my mum, sister’s release, witness tells court

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A witness identified as prosecution witness D has testified in the ongoing trial of Tukur Mamu, the publisher of Desert Herald newspaper, at the federal high court in Abuja.

 

The masked witness was led in evidence on Thursday by David Kaswe, a lawyer to the attorney-general of the federation (AGF).

 

Mamu is facing trial on a 10-count charge bordering on alleged terrorism after he was accused of aiding and negotiating with the terrorists who attacked the Abuja-Kaduna train in March 2022.

Mamu was accused of collecting $120,000 in ransom payments on behalf of Boko Haram terrorists responsible for the train attack.

 

He was also accused of exchanging voice note communications relating to the hostages with one Baba Adamu, a Boko Haram spokesperson.

 

However, the Desert Herald publisher pleaded not guilty to the terrorism charges.

 

THURSDAY’S PROCEEDINGS

Giving his testimony, the witness said he was informed that his mother and sister were among the passengers on board the train during the March 2022 attack.

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The witness said a day after the terrorist attack, he visited the Kaduna hospital where the injured passengers were taken but could not see his mother and sister.

 

The witness told the court one of the abductors called him two weeks after the attack via telephone and asked him to speak with his sister.

 

He added that there was regular communication between him and the terrorists for about two weeks before they demanded a ransom of N200 million.

 

The witness said the terrorists provided him with the names and phone numbers of four journalists who could be contacted for negotiations.

 

He said out of the four journalists, only Mamu volunteered “to take up the responsibility”.

 

The witness said while struggling to raise the money for ransom, he received calls from Lucky Irabor, former chief of defence staff (CDS), and Yusuf Bichi, the former director-general of the Department of State Services (DSS).

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He said the former defence staff requested a meeting in Abuja.

 

The witness said he was instructed by Irabor to tell him whatever he discussed with Mamu, adding that the former defence chief connected him with the committee set up by the federal government to facilitate the release of the kidnapped victims.

 

The witness said after he told the terrorists that Mamu had agreed to negotiate with them, they stopped communicating with him.

“As soon as they contacted Tukur Mamu, they stopped communicating with us. All information is from Tukur Mamu,” he told the court.

 

“We will go to Tukur Mamu, and he will tell us they have asked us to pay N100 million each.

 

“When the negotiation was going on, we had to link Tukur Mamu with the CDS committee.”

 

He added that one day, his sister called him from captivity to go back to Mamu for negotiations.

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“After some people started getting their loved ones out, it got to a stage that kidnappers were no longer talking with the CDS committee,” he added.

 

“It should be noted that Tukur Mamu penciled me as a government agent. So, he never wants to talk to me.”

 

The witness said Mamu later agreed to communicate after a relation, who was the publisher’s former boss, intervened in the matter.

 

The witness said he negotiated the ransom from N200 million to N80 million and took the ransom in cash in August 2022 to Mamu in his Kaduna residence.

 

The witness disclosed that he was asked to convert the money to dollars, adding that the money amounted to $118,750 after the conversion.

 

He said two weeks later, Mamu called him for additional money to make it up to $120,000.

 

He added that his mother and sister were released after the ransom was paid.

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Kidnappers of retired Major General release video, demand cows, members’ release

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The abductors of retired Major General Rabe Abubakar, former Director of Defence Information, and his wife has released a video of the couple in captivity.

It would be recalled that the couple were abducted along the Marabar Musawa–Kafinsoli road in Matazu Local Government Area of Katsina State, near Zakin Baure village.

In the four-minute video circulated on social media on Saturday, the wife of the retired general was seen conveying the abductors’ demands.

The demands included the release of three of their members identified as Sani, Aminu and Nasiru, as well as the return of livestock allegedly seized from them.

According to her account, two of the detained individuals were arrested in Jikamshi while the third was arrested in Kano.

She also appealed to the Katsina State Government and leaders of five local government areas to facilitate compliance with the demands to secure their release.

The retired general, who spoke briefly in the video, called for efforts to ensure peace, adding that the abductors had expressed interest in dialogue and peaceful coexistence.

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The notorious bandit leader, Kachallah Muhammad, who operates in parts of Katsina State, had reportedly established communication with the family of the retired general, according to a report by Daily Trust.

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Police uncover gun factory in Yobe, arrest seven suspects

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Operatives of the Yobe state command of the Nigeria Police Force have uncovered an illegal firearms fabrication factory in Potiskum, Yobe State.

The Command’s spokesman, SP Dungus Abdulkarim, in a press statement, confirmed that seven suspects were arrested as part of the renewed strategies of the Commissioner of Police aimed at combating crime and criminality across the state.

“On June 2, 2026, at about 1800hrs, acting on credible intelligence, the Potiskum Area Command led a coordinated raid in collaboration with the Divisional Police Headquarters following reports that some blacksmiths were engaged in the illegal fabrication of Dane guns and other firearms.

“Police operatives swiftly mobilised to the scene, a blacksmith workshop located at Tasha Adua along Danchuwa Road, Potiskum. During the operation, seven suspects were arrested, and the following exhibits recovered,” the state read in part.

Abdulkarim added that fabricated pistols, 24 muzzle pipes, nine gun butts, four unserviceable Dane guns, one filing machine, and one sharp cutlass were recovered.

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He said that the suspects are currently undergoing thorough investigation with a view to identifying their collaborators, possible buyers, and the intended use of the fabricated firearms.

“The Commissioner of Police, CP Usman Kanfani Jibrin, has directed officers handling the case to intensify investigation, identify other illegal firearms fabrication centres within the area, and assess the level of security threat posed by such criminal activities.

“The Command further advises members of the public to refrain from allowing their premises or facilities to be used for unlawful activities, including the fabrication of dangerous weapons.

“Residents are urged to remain vigilant and promptly report suspicious movements or activities to the nearest police station or other security agencies,” the statement added.

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NDLEA intercepts drugs concealed in water purifiers from Netherlands, arrests man with 380 rounds of military-grade ammunition

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Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency have intercepted high-potency illicit drugs concealed in water purifier machines shipped from the Netherlands.

The discovery was made on May 26, 2026, at a courier company, where officers found 3 kilograms of ketamine and 199 grams of MDMA hidden inside the appliances.

Femi Babafemi, the Director, Media & Advocacy of NDLEA, in a statement released on Sunday, said, “Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency have uncovered consignments of high potency illicit drugs concealed in water purifier machines shipped to Lagos from Netherlands.”

In another operation in Kaduna State, operatives arrested a couple, Musa Sunday and Mercy Sunday, alongside Salomi Ezekiel, after recovering 100 jumbo bags of skunk weighing 1,246 kilograms from their residence in Gonin Gora area on May 24.

On the same day, along the Abuja–Kaduna highway at Jere, officers intercepted Sunusi Musa, a 30-year-old suspect found with 380 rounds of 7.62mm military-grade ammunition, allegedly heading to Katsina State.

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The suspect and exhibits were handed over to the appropriate security agency for further investigation.

Babafemi said, “In Niger State, NDLEA operatives acting on intelligence raided a warehouse at Gidan Kukah, Bosso Local Government Area, on May 27, where 457 kilograms of skunk were recovered.

“A suspect, Godwin Zakka, was later arrested at his residence in Minna in connection with the seizure.

“In Enugu State, operatives on patrol along the Onitsha–Enugu expressway intercepted a commercial vehicle marked JAY-158-YF on May 28, recovering 22,000 tramadol pills, 100 ampoules of pentazocine and 200 grams of bromazepam. A suspect, James Maigari Wisdom, was arrested.”

The agency said its War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) sensitisation campaign continued nationwide alongside enforcement operations, with lectures held in schools and communities across Cross River, Taraba, Lagos and Anambra states, among others.

It said, “With the same zeal, Commands and formations of the Agency across the country continued their War Against Drug Abuse sensitisation activities in schools, worship centres, work places and communities, among others.”

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Commending the operations, the Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of the NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd.), praised officers for sustaining both enforcement and preventive efforts and urged them to intensify the nationwide crackdown on drug trafficking networks.

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