Court refuses to grant bail to terrorist negotiator Tukur Mamu for the third time

A Federal High Court in Abuja has rejected a fresh bail application filed by detained alleged terrorists’ negotiator, Tukur Mohammed Mamu, currently held by the Department of State Services (DSS).

In a ruling delivered on Wednesday by Justice Mohammed Umar, the court acknowledged Mamu’s health concerns but directed the DSS to take him to a suitable medical facility for appropriate treatment instead of granting him bail.

Justice Umar noted that the prosecution had demonstrated commendable diligence in handling the case, stressing that one of the legal grounds for bail is lack of diligent prosecution, which did not apply in this instance.

“The prosecution has shown diligence throughout the proceedings,” the judge said. “Therefore, there is no justification to grant bail on that ground.”

The court further ordered the defence counsel to select a medical facility acceptable to the defendant for his treatment and directed the DSS to ensure that Mamu is allowed access to his family members.

Wednesday’s ruling marks the third time the court has denied Mamu bail since his arraignment on March 21, 2023, on a 10-count charge bordering on terrorism financing, among other offences.

Mamu, the publisher of the Desert Herald newspaper, was arrested on September 7, 2022, by Egyptian security officials at Cairo International Airport and subsequently repatriated to Nigeria on suspicion of financing terrorism.