A Department of State Services (DSS) investigator has told a Federal High Court in Abuja that several victims rescued from the 2022 Abuja‑Kaduna train attack submitted written complaints against alleged terrorist negotiator Tukur Mamu during the prosecution’s ongoing terrorism trial.
The testimony came on Thursday 28th January from the sixth prosecution witness (PW‑6), who spoke behind a witness screen for security reasons during cross‑examination by defence counsel Johnson Usman, SAN, before Justice Mohammed Umar. The DSS operative said some of the rescued hostages including the wife of the Commandant of the Nigerian Army School of Infantry in Jaji, lodged formal petitions with the DSS alleging Mamu’s involvement in activities linked to the attack.
The witness confirmed that the complaints were submitted in writing, though he did not disclose details or identities due to a court‑ordered protection for victims and witnesses. According to the testimony, DSS investigators interviewed six victims as part of their probe but did so without Mamu present, and no petitions were read in open court to safeguard confidentiality.
Earlier in the proceedings, the defence questioned whether the victims’ statements were oral or written, and the court was urged by the DSS legal team to restrict probing that might reveal protected identities. Usman argued that the defence’s questions did not improperly identify protected individuals.
In addition to the petition evidence, the DSS operative confirmed that audio evidence connected to communications between Mamu and the terrorists had been transcribed and tendered by the prosecution. He also addressed investigative steps, noting that some high‑profile figures and military officers were interviewed as part of the wider investigation.
Mamu, who was arrested in Egypt in September 2022 and repatriated to Nigeria to face charges, has denied the allegations. The prosecution intends to close its case, with the next hearing when Mamu may open his defence adjourned until April 23, 2026.
