Follow Us on Google
From Godwin Tsa, Abuja
The Federal High Court in Abuja has fixed January 27, 2027 for judgment in the terrorism financing trial of Tukur Mamu, the alleged negotiator for the terrorists who held hostages after the 2022 Abuja-Kaduna train attack.
Justice Mohammed Umar fixed the date on Monday after the defence and prosecution adopted their final written addresses.
The hearing turned on one question: did the Federal Government produce the licence for the pump-action rifle allegedly recovered from Mamu’s residence?
Mamu’s counsel, Johnson Usman, SAN, urged the court to acquit his client on all counts, saying the prosecution had failed to prove any of them.
He said the defence asked for the licence on three consecutive occasions, but it was never produced in court, even though the prosecution took custody of both the rifle and the licence. He argued that this raised serious doubt that should be resolved in Mamu’s favour.
“You mean the expired licence?” the judge asked. Usman replied that the licence had not expired when Mamu was arrested.
He added: “If my vehicle licence expired and my car is parked at home, the VIO cannot come and arrest me.”
Prosecution counsel David Kaswe, an assistant director representing the Attorney-General of the Federation, disagreed.
He said court records would show that the licence and the arms were tendered through PW-5, an exhibit keeper.
He added that the court had also granted the prosecution’s application to keep the rifle and other exhibits safely.
Other News
Kaswe urged the court to hold that the prosecution had discharged the burden of proof and to convict Mamu.
Usman adopted the defence’s final address, dated July 22 and filed on July 23, and a reply on points of law, dated and filed on October 30.
Kaswe adopted the prosecution’s address, dated September 18 and filed on September 21.
Before the court rose, Usman thanked the Department of State Services for granting Mamu’s family access to him in line with a court order. “When they do well, we should praise them,” he said.
Mamu was arrested on September 7, 2022 at Cairo International Airport by Egyptian security officials.
He was re-arraigned on June 1 on a 17-count charge and pleaded not guilty. The charge includes terrorism financing, dealing in terrorist property, money laundering and unlawful possession of firearms.
The prosecution closed its case after calling seven witnesses. Mamu opened his defence on April 23 and testified as the sole defence witness.
Under count one of charge no. FHC/ABJ/CR/96/2023, he is accused of supporting Boko Haram and instigating the group to boycott the Chief of Defence Staff committee set up to negotiate the hostages’ release.
The aim, the prosecution alleges, was to position himself as the sole ransom negotiator.
Other allegations include:
• Receiving $120,000 in ransom on behalf of the group (count three)
• Exchanging voice notes with Boko Haram spokesman Baba Adamu
• Dealing in terrorist funds of $269,200 and N25,690,500 (counts six and seven)
• Dealing in 1,840 Indian rupees, 1,700 Egyptian pounds and 115 UAE dirhams (counts 11 to 13)
• Money laundering over the naira and dollar sums (counts 14 and 15)
• Unlawfully possessing a Delta Magnum pump-action rifle and 47 cartridges without a valid licence (count 16 and the related ammunition count)
