The federal government has named Tukur Mamu among 15 individuals and Bureau De Change (BDC) operators financing terrorism in Nigeria.
The Nigerian Sanctions Committee on Monday released the names of the indicted individuals and firms while also announcing sanctions for them.
Among the individuals, Mamu is the only known and most popular name.
Who is Tukur Mamu?
Mamu is a media aide to Ahmad Gumi, a Kaduna-based Islamic cleric.
He was arrested due to his suspicious ties with the terrorists implicated in the train attack along the Abuja-Kaduna railway in March 2022.
The attack resulted in the deaths of at least eight individuals, with 168 others declared missing, many of whom were presumed to have been abducted. The hostages were only released after six months in captivity on October 5, 2022, following government intervention.
Interpol detained Mamu in Cairo, Egypt, on September 6, 2022, on behalf of the Nigerian government, alleging his involvement in receiving ransom payments from the families of the train attack victims on behalf of the terrorists.
During his detention in Cairo, the State Security Service (SSS) conducted a search of his residence and office in Kaduna, reportedly discovering military uniforms and a sum of money.
The DSS said it had found $300,000 in his possession. The money was tagged “terrorist funds.”
Upon his return from Egypt, Mamu was apprehended by the SSS on September 7, 2022, at the Aminu Kano International Airport in north-west Nigeria. He also served as the spokesperson for Ahmad Gumi, a cleric based in Kaduna.
Mamu participated in the financing of terrorism by receiving and delivering ransom payments, over the sum of $200,000, in support of ISWAP terrorists for the release of hostages of the Abuja-Kaduna train attack, according to the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU).
The federal government also accused Mamu of exchanging voice notes relating to the Abuja-Kaduna train hostages with one Baba Adamu, a Boko Haram spokesperson. The publisher has denied any allegiance to terrorists.
He is currently being tried by the federal government for terrorism financing and other related crimes.
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