Justice Inyang Edem Ekwo of the Federal High Court in Abuja, Nigeria, has dismissed the request by terrorist negotiator Mohammed Tukur Mamu to be transferred from the custody of the Department of State Services (DSS) to Kuje Prison in Abuja. Mamu is currently standing trial for terrorism offences and has been in DSS custody after the court denied him bail.
In his ruling, Justice Ekwo cited the Federal Government’s concerns about frequent jail breaks in prisons as a primary reason for opposing the transfer to Kuje. “Since these averments were not challenged by Mamu, they are deemed to be true facts, and facts admitted need no further proof,” Ekwo stated. Consequently, he ordered Mamu to remain in DSS custody throughout his trial.
However, Justice Ekwo reaffirmed his previous order that Mamu be allowed to access his personal physician for medical treatment under DSS supervision. Mamu, through his lawyer Abdul Mohammed, SAN, had earlier alleged that the court’s order from December 19, 2023, allowing him access to his physician, was not fully complied with by the DSS. According to Mamu, he had only been granted access once, during which a comprehensive medical examination report was submitted to the DSS. He claimed that since then, his physician had not been allowed to see him, and he required urgent surgical operations.
Mamu argued that his health had deteriorated significantly, posing a risk to his life if he remained in DSS custody. He insisted that he needed to be moved to Kuje Prison to receive necessary medical care and promised regular court attendance, stressing that he could only stand trial if alive.
Mamu was arrested at the Aminu Kano International Airport upon his arrival from Egypt on September 6, 2022, due to alleged connections with the terrorists who attacked the Abuja-Kaduna train on March 28, 2022. On March 21, 2023, the DSS arraigned him on 10 counts of terrorism financing, among other charges, to which he pleaded not guilty.
