The Department of State Services has warned Nigerians over making comments on its arrest of the terrorists’ negotiator, Tukur Mamu.
The DSS, in a statement by its Spokesman, Peter Afunaya, Sunday, asked the public to leave the agency alone and allow it to concentrate on the investigations which it said the outcomes had been “mindboggling.”
This was coming hours after the controversial Islamic cleric, Sheik Gumi, to whom Mamu is an aide, had faulted the arrest of the negotiator.
Gumi, at a religious gathering on Friday, said, “Nigeria’s constitution did not say you can arrest someone without any proven evidence criminalising him and without charging him to court. You cannot arrest and keep him in detention arbitrarily.
“Take him to court to face trial. Keeping him in custody despite being a family man was just to intimidate him. This intimidation is also terrorism. Arresting people unjustly is also terrorism; just like the terrorists do by going to somebody’s house to kidnap him.
“It’s not about Tukur Mamu, you all know that whenever they arrest innocent people, I always talk, not to talk of someone that I know and I’m only advising the government to release him so that we can apologize to him to forget what happened.”
Reacting in its statement, the DSS said, “The DSS has followed, with keen observation, overzealous comments by sections of the public in view of issues relating to the arrest and investigation of Tukur Mamu.”
“The Service wishes to state that it is not distracted with some of the skewed narratives pervading the media space. Instead, it requests to be left alone to concentrate on the ongoing investigations, the outcomes of which have remained mindboggling.”
“Meanwhile, the Service will cease further comments on the subject matter since the court will determine its course. Consequently, the public is hereby enjoined to desist from making unguarded utterances and await the court proceedings.”
Mamu, who negotiated the release of Abuja-Kaduna train victims, was arrested on Tuesday at Cairo International Airport alongside his family, by foreign security agents. He was handed over to Nigerian authorities on Wednesday.
His residence and media office would be later be raided by the DSS in the early hours of Thursday.
