The Federal High Court in Abuja has fixed January 27, 2027, for judgment in the terrorism-related trial of Tukur Mamu, the Kaduna-based publisher and alleged negotiator in the Abuja-Kaduna train kidnapping case.
Justice Mohammed Umar adjourned the matter for judgment on Monday after the prosecution and defence adopted their final written addresses, bringing the trial closer to a judicial determination.
Mamu is facing charges filed by the Federal Government over allegations of terrorism financing, receiving ransom payments on behalf of Boko Haram and unlawful possession of a firearm.
The defendant, who publishes Desert Herald, has denied the allegations and maintained his innocence.
The Federal Government accused Mamu of collecting various sums of money in different currencies from families of victims of the March 2022 Abuja-Kaduna train attack on behalf of the Boko Haram terrorist group.
According to the prosecution, investigations revealed that Mamu allegedly collected a total of $420,000 from some victims’ families, alongside N21 million from another group of families.
The government further alleged that he received N500,000 in ransom payments in Kaduna State in 2022 on behalf of the terrorist organisation.
It also accused him of concealing proceeds from services allegedly rendered to the group at his residence in Kaduna.
In addition, the prosecution alleged that Mamu exchanged voice-note communications with an individual identified as Baba Adamu, described in the charge as a Boko Haram spokesperson, concerning acts of terrorism.
The Federal Government said the alleged offences contravened the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.
The allegations remain subject to the court’s determination.
At Monday’s proceedings, the Federal Government’s lawyer, David Kaswe, urged the court to convict Mamu, arguing that the evidence presented by the prosecution was sufficient to establish the charges.
The prosecution closed its case after presenting six witnesses before the court.
However, the defence team, led by Senior Advocate of Nigeria Johnson Usman, urged the judge to discharge and acquit the defendant.
The defence argued that the prosecution had failed to establish a prima facie case or sufficiently connect Mamu to the alleged offences.
Following the adoption of the parties’ final arguments, Justice Umar reserved the matter for judgment.
Mamu was arrested by security operatives in Cairo, Egypt, on September 6, 2022, while travelling with family members to Saudi Arabia for the lesser Hajj, months after the Abuja-Kaduna train attack.
He was subsequently arraigned on March 21, 2023, on terrorism-related charges and allegations of illegal possession of a firearm.
The Department of State Services (DSS), in an affidavit filed before the court, alleged that Mamu used his position as a journalist as cover to support terrorist activities.
The security agency claimed that he was intercepted in Egypt while allegedly travelling to attend a clandestine meeting with senior terrorist commanders, with assistance from international security partners, including Interpol.
The DSS further alleged that investigations indicated possible involvement in terrorism financing and that a search of his residence and office in Kaduna yielded items it considered relevant to its investigation.
Among the items listed were cash in naira and foreign currencies, ATM cards, cheque books, laptops, tablets, mobile phones, international passports, a firearm licence and military uniforms.
The agency also listed pump-action cartridges and other assorted items among the exhibits reportedly recovered during the searches.
The allegations contained in the DSS affidavit have not, by themselves, established Mamu’s guilt.
The scheduled judgment will determine the outcome of the charges against Mamu following the conclusion of the parties’ final submissions.
The case is linked to the March 28, 2022, Abuja-Kaduna train attack, in which armed assailants abducted passengers and killed some victims, triggering widespread concern over insecurity and mass kidnappings in Nigeria.
Mamu had been publicly associated with efforts to negotiate the release of some abducted passengers before his arrest and subsequent prosecution.
The court’s decision on January 27, 2027, is expected to provide a major development in the high-profile terrorism-related case.
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