A high court in Kaduna state has ordered the Department of State Services (DSS), to “immediately” charge the publisher of Desert Herald newspaper, Tukur Mamu to court rather than keep him in detention.
Mamu, an aide to Ahmad Gumi, a popular Islamic cleric, has been involved in negotiations for the release of persons abducted during an attack on a train in Kaduna, in March 2022.
Mamu was arrested at the Kano International Airport after he returned from Egypt where he had been detained on his way to Saudi Arabia for lesser hajj.
The security agency said the publisher of Desert Herald was involved in the funding of international and local terrorism.
The DSS alleged that Tukur shared information with terrorist groups, resulting in the escalation of bandit attacks in the country.
On September 13, a federal high court in Abuja granted the DSS permission to detain Mamu for 60 more days.
But Mamu, through a motion of notice dated November 22 filed through his team of lawyers led by Mohammed Katu, sought his release.
He said his continued detention was in violation of his “fundamental human rights as guaranteed, enshrined and protected by sections 34, 35, 36 and 41 of the constitution of the federal republic of Nigeria”.
The application prayed for “an order of this honourable court directing the respondents (DSS) to immediately arraign and charge the applicants before a court of competent jurisdiction for any offence(s) as disclosed from their Investigation (if any)”.
“Alternatively an order directing the respondents to admit the applicants on bail pending the conclusion of their investigation.”
Ruling on the application on Monday, Edward Andow, the presiding judge ordered the DSS to charge the applicant to court if they have evidence against him.
