Fresh details emerged on Wednesday at the Federal High Court as a prosecution witness painted a picture of what investigators describe as a sudden and suspicious spike in the lifestyle of alleged bandit–negotiator, Tukur Mamu, during the 2022 Abuja–Kaduna train hostage saga.
Testifying from behind a protective screen, the sixth prosecution witness (PW-6) told the court that Mamu’s spending habits and travel patterns “changed dramatically” while he was acting as an intermediary between families of abducted passengers and their captors.
According to the witness, the defendant began to “live far above his means,” purchasing vehicles and financing international trips for himself and close relatives.
Under direct examination by DSS counsel, David Kaswe, PW-6 alleged that Mamu acquired two new cars and sponsored a foreign trip for four family members during the negotiation period. He added that the defendant was eventually arrested in Egypt while on this self-funded trip.
But the defence pushed back quickly.
Lead defence lawyer, Johnson Usman (SAN), challenged the credibility of the lifestyle-assessment testimony, pointing out that the witness had never met Mamu before the March 2022 train attack and therefore had no basis for evaluating whether the defendant’s spending was unusual.
Usman reminded the court that Mamu already owned multiple vehicles — including a Toyota Venza, Mercedes-Benz E350 and a Hyundai sedan — before the attack, and had a long history of foreign travel for Hajj, Umrah and other purposes.
Pressed on this, PW-6 admitted that he did not know Mamu’s net worth, nor had he personally reviewed the defendant’s passport, even though it was in DSS custody.
Still, the prosecution maintained that Mamu’s involvement in the ransom talks was unauthorised and self-serving.
Reading from DSS investigative findings, the witness said the defendant “inserted himself into negotiations for personal benefit,” claiming he helped facilitate ransom payments, verified sums for bandits, and even provided technical assistance — including guidance on creating a website — to the terror group.
The court also heard that Mamu allegedly received a promise of a N50 million “cut” from a terrorist commander known as Shugaba.
An audio recording reportedly extracted from Mamu’s devices — a Samsung tablet and two mobile phones seized during his detention in Egypt — was played in open court.
In the recording, a voice said to belong to Shugaba praised Mamu and instructed him to deduct N50 million for himself from delivered ransom money.
When questioned on whether the DSS confirmed Mamu’s travel history, PW-6 said he relied on a preliminary report and did not personally inspect the passport. He nonetheless insisted that his investigation was thorough.
The witness also conceded that families of the abducted victims had suggested several individuals to serve as intermediaries with the terrorists.
However, he noted that Mamu was the only one who accepted the role — even though he was not part of the authorised committee set up by the Chief of Defence Staff to manage negotiations.
Usman countered that only one hostage had been freed before Mamu entered the process, disputing the impression that he played a critical role in early releases.
PW-6 held firm, reiterating that Mamu acted outside any government mandate and operated as an unapproved negotiator.
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Justice Mohammed Garba Umar adjourned the matter, scheduling the continuation of the witness’s cross-examination for January 29, 2026.
