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Kaduna train attack: Tukur Mamu received N50m from terrorists – DSS operative

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Tukur Mamu
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A Department of State Services (DSS) investigator, on Tuesday, told the Federal High Court in Abuja that Mr Tukur Mamu was offered a N50 million share by Shugaba, leader of the terrorist group who attacked the Abuja-Kaduna-bound train in 2022.

The DSS operative, who testified as the 6th prosecution witness (PW-6) in the ongoing terrorism trial of Mamu, the alleged terrorists’ negotiator, told Justice Mohammed Umar while being led in evidence by the DSS lawyer, David Kaswe.

The witness, who gave his testimony behind a witness screen for security reasons, said that the group also asked Mamu to teach them how to open websites for their terrorist activities.

He stated this while interpreting four voice notes played in the courtroom containing the defendant’s telephone interactions with the terrorists who held the abducted train passengers hostage.

The audio recordings were extracted from Mamu’s mobile telephones during interrogation after he was arrested in Egypt and brought back to Nigeria.

“The first voice note that played was for the defendant (Mamu) fixing a date for delivery of ransom.

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“The second voice note that played for five minutes was the voice of Shugaba, the leader of the terrorist group.

“In the voice note, he was appreciating the defendant’s effort and asked him to remove N50 million for his personal use from a particular tranche of ransom sent to them.

“In the last voice note that played, Baba Adamu, who is their spokesperson, was heard requesting the defendant to help them procure speakers and a public address system for their preaching activities, and the defendant responded that he was going to look into their request.

“They also requested that the defendant teach them how to open a website for their activities,” the witness said.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Mamu was alleged to have convinced the terrorists to discuss ransom payments with individual families of the hostages of the train attack instead of the Chief of Defence Staff Committee set up by the Federal Government for his personal financial gain.

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The defendant was said to have been nominated by the terrorists that attacked the train sometime in March 2022, where scores of passengers were held hostage.

Mamu was alleged to have collected ransoms on behalf of the terror group from families of hostages, confirmed the amount and facilitated the delivery of same to them.

The PW-6, while being led in evidence on Tuesday by the prosecuting lawyer, Kaswe, told the court that after Mamu was brought back from Egypt, he submitted his Samsung tablet and two phones to DSS’ officials.

The witness said he was one of those who investigated the case.

He told the court that when the defendant was intercepted in Egypt, he put in a call to his in-law, identified as Mubarak Tinja, and directed him to move out all his valuables, comprising cash, cars and other items of value, from his house to a safe location to avoid detection by security agents.

“The defendant was subsequently arrested in Egypt and returned back to Nigeria, where a team of investigators was on the ground to receive him.

“A duly endorsed search warrant was duly executed in his property and office in Kaduna, during which cash, in both local and foreign currencies; vehicles and other valuables were recovered.

“In compliance with his directive to his in-law, Mubarak Tinja, and the other dependants in the house, some cars and cash were moved out of the house to various locations,” he said.

He said investigators later traced and located some of the items, including about 300,000 US dollars and about seven cars, including a Toyota Camry (Muscle), a Peugeot 5008, a Lexus, a Mercedes E350 and a Hyundai car.

Vehicle documents relating to the cars were later tendered by the prosecution through the witness, which the court admitted in evidence.

The witness added that when the defendant was brought back to the country, he “handed his Samsung tablet and two of his phones to our exhibit keeper, who sent them to our forensic department for forensic analysis.

“The outcome of the forensic analysis, which included the voice notes of the conversation between the defendant and the terrorists, was part of the content that was presented to the interrogation team and the items recovered from his home.

“He (the defendant) was subsequently interviewed, during which the content of his phones and other items was presented to him.

“During the interview, the defendant admitted giving instruction to Mubarak to move his variables from his house.

“He also admitted communicating with the terrorists, using his voice notes, which were extracted from his two phones and Samsung tablet.”

He added that the defendant also admitted owning a pump-action gun, which was recovered from his house, which he claimed was duly licensed.

The witness, however, told the court that investigators later discovered that the licence expired in December 2021, nine months before he was arrested.

The DSS operative said about 98 per cent of the conversation on the voice notes is in the Hausa language, some of which was translated to the English language by him, because there were too many.

Kaswe then applied to tender the recorded voice notes stored in compact disc plates and flash drives, which the court admitted after Mamu’s counsel, Johnson Usman, reserved his objection until the final address.

The recorded conversations were played in the courtroom.

The witness added that in the course of the investigation, two victims volunteered written statements in which they recounted their experiences.

He said one of the statements was written in English and the other in the Hausa language.

He, however, said that the victims, a male and female, were no longer available because they expressed their unwillingness to attend court to testify because of fear and trauma.

The court admitted the statements of the victims in evidence and marked them as exhibits after it was not opposed by Usman.

The court also admitted in evidence eight statements made to investigators by Mamu and video recordings of the statement writing sessions.

Kaswe then informed the court that he would be bringing a formal application for the court to visit where the items recovered from Mamu’s house and office are kept.

Justice Umar adjourned the matter until Nov. 26 at 11am for continuation of trial (NAN).

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BREAKING: JAMB releases first batch of 2026 UTME results, warns against score manipulation

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The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has announced the release of results for 632,788 candidates who participated in the first day of the 2026 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), held on Thursday.

This was disclosed in a statement signed by the Board’s spokesperson, Fabian Benjamin, on Friday.

According to the Board, candidates can now access their results by sending “UTMERESULT” via SMS to either 55019 or 66019, using the same phone number registered during the examination process.

At this stage, only result viewing is available, as printing of result slips has not yet been enabled.

JAMB emphasised that the UTME exercise is still ongoing, adding that additional batches of results will be released progressively as marking and processing continue.

The Board also issued a stern warning against any attempts to manipulate or falsify results.

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It cautioned candidates against altering SMS messages received from its official platforms to misrepresent their scores to others, including parents and guardians.

JAMB Releases Results of 632,788 Candidates from Day One of the 2026 UTME
The results of candidates who sat the 2026 UTME on Thursday, 16 April 2026, have been released and are now available for viewing.
To check their results, candidates should send UTMERESULT via SMS to 55019…
— Fabian Benjamin (@FabianB58246501) April 17, 2026

Describing such actions as a serious criminal offence, JAMB disclosed that it has already taken action against offenders. “Two candidates and one parent are currently in custody for engaging in result falsification using AI and other electronic means,” the statement revealed.

The Board reiterated that anyone found guilty of such misconduct would face the full weight of the law.

JAMB urged candidates to adhere strictly to official channels and maintain integrity throughout the examination process, as it continues efforts to ensure a credible and transparent admissions system in Nigeria.

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Arewa APC Forum withdraws support for Tinubu citing nepotism, incompetence

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The Arewa APC Forum, Kano State chapter, has announced the withdrawal of its support for the second-term bid of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, citing concerns over governance and leadership direction.

In a statement dated April 17, 2026, the forum said its decision followed “extensive consultations and careful reflection” on the state of affairs at the federal level.

The group stated that it could no longer, “in good conscience,” continue to support the current administration, which it criticised over alleged issues including nepotism, incompetence, and corruption.

“We believe that leadership must inspire confidence, uphold fairness, and demonstrate a sincere commitment to national unity, institutional integrity, and responsible governance,” the statement read.

It added that where such values are persistently undermined, “silence becomes complicity.”

The forum further declared that its confidence in the current political direction has been withdrawn, urging its members to align with this position in future political engagements.

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The statement was signed by Sallah Hakilu Kibiya, chairman of the forum in Kano State.

The development signals potential cracks within support structures linked to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), particularly in the northern region, as political alignments begin to shift ahead of the next electoral cycle.

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Sen. Ngwu donates security gadgets to Forest Guards, lauds Mbah’s investment in security

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The Senator representing Enugu West Senatorial District, Senator Osita Ngwu, has donated critical security equipment to the Enugu State Forest Guard to bolster its operational capacity and sustain the state’s strides in combating insecurity.

The donation, made on Friday at the Forest Guard Command headquarters in Enugu, included tested body armour, bulletproof vests and helmets, long-range binoculars, communication radios, and first aid materials aimed at improving field efficiency and personnel safety.

Speaking during the presentation, Senator Ngwu commended Governor Peter Mbah for what he described as unprecedented investment in the state’s security architecture, noting that Enugu has emerged as a reference point in security management.

“To the glory of God, we have a governor who is overperforming and understands what governance entails across all sectors. Particularly in security, only a few people know that the Command and Control Centre in Enugu is currently the best in Nigeria,” he said.

He added that the level of sophistication of the centre surpasses what is obtainable even at the federal level, stressing that the infrastructure has significantly strengthened efforts to safeguard lives and property.

The lawmaker explained that his intervention was inspired by the governor’s commitment to security, emphasizing that governance requires collective responsibility.

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He called on citizens to support security agencies with timely and credible information.

“There is a saying in security: if you see something, you must say something. Without information, the work becomes more difficult,” he noted.

Ngwu also acknowledged that insecurity can heighten during election periods, sometimes driven by political activities, but maintained that a responsible government must remain proactive in tackling threats and ensuring that criminal elements are brought to justice.

Highlighting the state’s Security Trust Fund, he noted that it supports multiple security agencies, including the police, army, DSS, neighbourhood watch, and the Forest Guard, adding that his donation was a modest contribution to complement the governor’s efforts.

Reacting, the Chairman of the Enugu State Forest Guard Board, Col. Daniel Chukwu (rtd.), described the donation as timely, recalling that the agency initially met a “broken and dysfunctional system” which required rebuilding from the ground up.

“We thank the governor for the enabling environment and unwavering support. Every proposal aimed at improving operations and welfare receives prompt approval,” he said.

Chukwu disclosed that the first batch of personnel had been trained in Osun State, with positive results already evident, and urged other stakeholders to emulate the senator’s gesture.

Also speaking, the Commander of the Forest Guard, DCP Olasoji Akinbayo (rtd) described the donation as a morale booster, noting that it would enhance ongoing operations across the state’s forests.

“You have set the ball rolling with this uncommon act. We expect more support from citizens so that we can do more,” he said.

He further revealed that the state government had procured over 1,000 sophisticated rifles for the outfit, enabling operatives to intensify efforts in tackling crime and securing forested areas.

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