A Department of State Services (DSS) operative told the Federal High Court in Abuja on Tuesday that Tukur Mamu was offered N50 million by Shugaba, the leader of the terrorist group behind the 2022 Abuja-Kaduna train attack.

The DSS witness, testifying behind a screen for security reasons as the 6th prosecution witness (PW-6), explained that Mamu, accused of acting as the terrorists’ negotiator, also assisted the group in learning to create websites for their activities.

The testimony was based on four voice notes recovered from Mamu’s mobile devices during interrogation after his arrest in Egypt and extradition to Nigeria.

According to the witness:

• The first voice note involved Mamu arranging a ransom delivery date.
• The second, five-minute note featured Shugaba thanking Mamu and instructing him to take N50 million for personal use from the ransom.
• In subsequent notes, the terrorists requested Mamu’s help in procuring public address systems and teaching them website creation.

The DSS claims Mamu allegedly bypassed the Federal Government’s Chief of Defence Staff Committee, negotiating directly with families of the hostages to secure ransom for personal gain.

The witness further detailed that, upon his arrest in Egypt, Mamu instructed his in-law, Mubarak Tinja, to move valuables—including cash and cars—to avoid detection by security agents. Investigators later recovered approximately $300,000 USD and seven vehicles, including a Toyota Camry, Peugeot 5008, Lexus, Mercedes E350, and Hyundai, from various locations.

Additionally, Mamu surrendered his Samsung tablet and two mobile phones to DSS officials, which contained the recovered voice notes. During interrogation, he admitted the communications and the possession of a pump-action gun, though its licence had expired in December 2021.

The DSS witness noted that 98% of the voice notes were in Hausa, with translations provided in English. The court admitted the recordings, along with eight statements made by Mamu and video recordings of statement sessions, into evidence.

Justice Mohammed Umar adjourned the case to November 26 at 11 a.m. for continuation of trial.