BY YUSUFU SHEHU USMAN mni

It is no longer news (for it has gone viral) that Malllam Tukur Mamu, the Publisher of the Desert Herald Magazine, was arrested by the Interpol in Egypt, en route The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and has been officially deported to Nigeria, on intelligence supplied by the DSS to the Interpol

The DSS took Mamu into it’s custody and has opened up a large scale investigation into a series of allegations bordering on terrorism against the Publisher

.The DSS revelation of its findings in Mamu’s home and office is to say the least, frightening and sad

Mamu was the negotiator between the relations of the kidnapped victims of the ill fated Abuja -Kaduna bound train and the terrorists that bombed the rail line, killed a couple of innocent citizens and kidnapped a huge number of the survivors

The terrorists kept their victims in their custody under the worst inhuman conditions for months on end

They taunted, tortured and traumatised the innocent citizens comprising the aged, the very sick and children including infants and foreigners

They made videos and posted in the social media (which went viral) of their atrocities and torture of the kidnapped victims

They made impossible demands on the government and also established communication with the relations of their victims demanding ransom as a condition for securing the release of their loved ones

The terrorists engaged Mamu as their chief negotiator with both the government and the relatives of their victims

Mamu’s engagement with the government on behalf of the terrorists did not yield fruits as the government (rightly in view), suspected foul play, complicity and conspiracy on the part of Mamu

However, Mamu’s private negotiations with the individual relatives of the kidnappers saw the payment of ransom fixed at the sum of whopping one hundred million Naira on the head of each victim

Many of the relatives paid the blood money which collected by the terrorists with Mamu’s assistance and involvement but not without the trail of the government

The victims who are unable to meet the demands of the terrorists are still in captivity and going through hell on earth

Mamu was on a flight bound to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and was intercepted by the Interpol in Egypt obviously based on intelligence from Nigerian security agencies

Mamu is now repatriated to Nigeria and placed in the custody of the DSS which has commenced investigations into his relationship with the terrorists and the role he played in the payment of ransom which runs into billions of Naira

The report of preliminary investigation revealed through the search of Mamu’s home and office made public by the DSS, is stunning as it is disturbing, frightening and instructive

The DSS confirmed the discovery of military uniforms, equipment and a huge sums of different foreign currencies, among other incriminating evidence

The DSS said the investigation is on going and more discoveries and revelation may be made in due course

The question on the lips of every discerning Nigerian is, could Mamu be acting alone or he is representing a gang of an organized criminal group of which he is their public spokesperson?

If it is so, who are the other members of the criminal group and what is their real objective in relation to the efforts of the government to fight terrorism, banditry and kidnapping across the length and breadth of Nigeria

With the arrest and deportation of Mamu, the DSS has it’s job cut out for it and the expectation of Nigerians is that it should make a thorough, comprehensive and sincere job of it

The investigation of the DSS must cascade down and also comb up through the entire machine operated by Mamu in the conduct of his relationship with the terrorists

The investigation must pierce through the veil and facade under which Mamu and his group, which we believe include his sponsors, enablers and shielders are operating to cause so much pain and grief to innocent citizens

The DSS must dig out the root of Mamu’s cycle, identify the other members including the leadership of the group and bring them within the laws of the Republic

It is gratifying to note that we have in place an extant legislation on Counter Terrorism which is in force across the nation

The Counter Terrorism Act defines,, creates and punishes a variety of acts that constitute offences under the Act

The role played by Mamu and his cycle of alleged criminals must be thoroughly investigated, exposed and if found to have contravened the law (any law), they must face prosecution and punished in proportion to the agonies and loss they inflicted on innocent citizens of Nigeria and even foreigners in Nigeria

The DSS did well to place Mamu on the radar of the Interpol which made his arrest and deportation to Nigeria from Egypt not only possible but also legal and legitimate

We expect the DSS to leave no stone unturned and spare no blue blooded or blue eyed suspect no matter how highly placed and no matter how influential from the long arm of the law
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The eyes of every Nigerian is now turned on the DSS and the whole world is watching with intense interest and undiluted attention to the outcome of this investigation with both national and international implications for the global war against terror

The DSS must neither fail or disappoint Nigeria and the world in this most important, crucial and critical assignment. The die is cast!