On Wednesday, a Federal High Court in Abuja was informed that Tukur Mamu, an alleged ransom negotiator, bought cars and paid for travel abroad for himself and his family after allegedly making money through illicit conversations with bandits.
The sixth prosecution witness, simply known as PW-6 in court documents, testified behind a protective screen that the defendant started living “far above his means” during the negotiations related to the 2022 Abuja–Kaduna train attack.
“During the negotiations, the defendant’s lifestyle abruptly changed and he was living way above his means,” the witness said in open court during the Department of State Services (DSS) attorney David Kaswe’s chief examination.
PW-6 stated that Mamu was arrested in Egypt while traveling with four family members he personally sponsored during cross-examination by main defense attorney Johnson Usman (SAN). Additionally, he attested to the defendant’s purchase of two cars during the ransom-talk window.
The witness said, “The defendant was arrested in company of four of his family members whom he sponsored on a trip,” in response to Usman’s question about the lifestyle changes seen. During the talks, the defendant also purchased two automobiles.
However, the defense retorted that the witness was unaware of Mamu’s salary and net worth prior to the attack.
Usman asked, “Confirm to My Lord that you have never had a personal encounter with the defendant before March 28, 2022.”
“Yes, My Lord,” was the witness’s reply.
“You did not know his net worth because you did not have a personal encounter with the defendant,” Usman continued.
PW-6 concurred: “That’s right.”
A Toyota Venza, a Mercedes Benz E350, and a Hyundai salon car were Mamu’s three vehicles, according to the defense attorney. He said that prior to the train incident, the defendant possessed two of the three.
Additionally, the defense attorney contended that before to the 2022 train assault, Mamu had been traveling overseas with family members for the Hajj, Umrah, and other events.
The defense pointed out that long before the year of the train attack, Mamu had gone overseas for the Hajj and Umrah with family.
PW-6 did, however, also inform the court that Mamu was never tasked by the Federal Government with negotiating the attack with terrorists or ransom takers.
The witness said, quoting DSS findings directly: “He acted on his own for his profit… He profited from the ransom that the victims’ relatives paid. On behalf of the terrorists, he obtained the ransom, verified the sum, and unlawfully enabled delivery. He had illegal guns in his possession. He gave terrorists instructions on how to build a website. The amount of money taken from his Kaduna home exceeded the legal limit. His way of life abruptly changed during the discussions, and he was living well over his means.
Mamu allegedly meddled in talks between the perpetrators and the relatives of the victims for his own benefit, according to the prosecution.
The chief of the terrorist group allegedly offered Mamu a prize of N50 million, according to testimony given during the middle week.
According to PW-6, an audio recording that was taken from the defendant’s devices—a Samsung tablet and two cell phones that Egyptian officials had confiscated—captured discussions with the terrorist mastermind known as “Shugaba.”
The man claiming to be Shugaba allegedly complimented Mamu and gave him instructions to “remove N50m” from a delivered ransom for himself in the audio tape that was played in court.
Despite his insistence that he was a thorough investigator, PW-6 acknowledged that he did not check Mamu’s passport when questioned about whether travel data were confirmed.
Despite acknowledging that Mamu’s passport was in DSS custody, he claimed that accessing the passport was not necessary since he relied on a preliminary report.
Usman responded to another defense argument by stating that victims suggested several aliases to communicate with the kidnappers, a claim that the witness acknowledged.
Even though Mamu was not a member of the Chief of Defense Staff Committee that was previously established to seek the release of the hostages, the court heard that although names were introduced by the victims, only Mamu agreed to conduct negotiations.
Usman disputed assertions that Mamu was essential to early recoveries, arguing that just one kidnapped passenger had been freed prior to Mamu’s involvement.
The witness reiterated that Mamu was not a part of any authorized government negotiating track and insisted that his position was neither formal nor authorized.
Judge Mohammed Garba Umar postponed the anti-terror probe witness’s additional cross-examination to January 29, 2026.
