New DSS Testimony Reveals Chilling Details in the Tukur Mamu Terrorism Case

Nigeria’s fight against terrorism took a dramatic turn as fresh courtroom revelations exposed the financial and digital networks underpinning one of the country’s deadliest terror operations — the 2022 Abuja–Kaduna train attack.

In gripping testimony on the Kaduna Train Attack Trial before the Federal High Court , Abuja, a Department of State Services (DSS) investigator detailed how alleged terror negotiator Tukur Mamu received ₦50 million from Shugaba, the mastermind of the attack that left scores dead and hundreds kidnapped.

The evidence — extracted from Mamu’s phones and tablet — offers Nigeria’s most detailed insight yet into how terrorists manage ransom payments, coordinate logistics, and exploit intermediaries.

And it paints a disturbing picture of a negotiator who stood closer to the terrorists than previously understood.

---

The ₦50m “Thank You Gift”: Inside the Ransom Conversation

According to the DSS operative (PW-6), audio recordings recovered from Mamu’s devices captured:

1️⃣ Terror Leader Appreciating Mamu — and Offering Him ₦50m

In one voice note, Shugaba, leader of the terror gang, told Mamu:

“Remove ₦50 million for yourself from the ransom sent.”

The revelation confirms that ransom transactions were not only massive — but personally lucrative for key intermediaries.

2️⃣ Terrorists Demanding Logistics Support

The recordings also show:

• Requests for public address systems for extremist preaching,
  
• Plans to build a website for terror activities,
  
• Conversations on fixing ransom delivery dates.
  

3️⃣ Mamu’s Alleged Pivot Away from Govt Negotiators

Instead of engaging with the Chief of Defence Staff’s official committee, Mamu allegedly:

• Encouraged terrorists to negotiate directly with families,
  
• Verified ransom amounts,
  
• Coordinated their delivery.
  

According to the DSS, this shift weakened government control — and strengthened the terrorists’ negotiating leverage.

---

The Arrest in Egypt: Panic, Phone Calls & Asset Movements

When Mamu was intercepted in Cairo in 2022, investigators said he immediately phoned his in-law, directing him:

“Move everything out — cash, cars, valuables — before security agents arrive.”

A DSS-executed search warrant later uncovered:

• About $300,000 in cash,
  
• Seven high-value vehicles (Lexus, Mercedes E350, Toyota Camry Muscle, Peugeot 5008, Hyundai),
  
• A pump-action rifle with an expired licence.
  

Many of these items had allegedly been moved to “safe houses” on Mamu’s instructions.

---

Digital Forensics: Unlocking a Terrorist Negotiation Playbook

Forensic extraction of Mamu’s Samsung tablet and phones produced:

• Hours of Hausa-language voice notes,
  
• Negotiation timelines,
  
• Ransom coordination messages,
  
• Terror logistics requests,
  
• Identity of key terrorist actors.
  

The DSS investigator said:

“About 98% of the conversations were in Hausa. We translated the relevant portions for the interrogation team.”

The court accepted:

• Voice notes (in CDs and flash drives),
  
• Victim statements,
  
• Eight written statements by Mamu,
  
• Video recordings of interrogation sessions.
  

---

Victims Too Traumatized to Testify

Two victims of the Kaduna train kidnapping provided written statements but told investigators they could not appear in court due to:

• Fear of reprisal,
  
• Psychological trauma,
  
• Reluctance to relive the experience.
  

Their statements were admitted into evidence without objection.

---

BRANDECONOMY ANALYSIS: Nigeria’s Terror Financing War Enters New Terrain

The ongoing Mamu trial exposes a sobering reality:

1️⃣ Terrorism Has a Sophisticated Financial Architecture

The Kaduna attack cost families hundreds of millions in ransom.
The DSS evidence in the ongoing Kaduna Train Attack Trial suggests:

• Structured channels for cash movement,
  
• Trusted civilian intermediaries,
  
• Parallel negotiations outside government oversight.
  

2️⃣ Nigeria’s Ransom Economy Is Expanding

From Kaduna to Zamfara to Niger, bandits are increasingly:

• Using digital tools,
  
• Relying on negotiators,
  
• Reinforcing their operations with ransom-derived revenue.
  

3️⃣ Digital Forensics Is Becoming the New Battlefield

The Mamu case shows:

• Terrorists now demand websites and communication tools,
  
• Negotiators rely on encrypted or voice-note-heavy communication,
  
• Devices are treasure troves of operational intelligence.
  

4️⃣ Victim Trauma Is a Growing Judicial Obstacle

Fear and psychological scars hamper:

• Eyewitness testimony,
  
• Trial progress,
  
• Victim cooperation.
  

Nigeria’s justice system must adapt with:

• Witness protection programs,
  
• Remote testimony mechanisms,
  
• Trauma-informed prosecutorial procedures.
  

---

THE ROAD AHEAD

With the resumption of trial scheduled for Nov. 26, the case is poised to redefine:

• Terrorism financing jurisprudence,
  
• Nigeria’s hostage-negotiation protocols,
  
• The legal boundaries of intermediaries.
  

The Federal Government is also expected to apply for:

• Physical inspection of recovered assets,
  
• Additional forensic depositions.
  

This is no longer just a trial — it is a window into the economics, psychology and logistics of Nigeria’s modern terror ecosystem.

---