The management of Desert Herald newspaper, Kaduna, has condemned the raid by operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) on the residence of its publisher, Mallam Tukur Mamu, last Thursday.
The newspaper also criticised the DSS for raiding the residence of Mamu’s in-law, Abdullahi Mashi, in the early hours of yesterday. A statement yesterday by the Special Projects Manager of Desert Herald newspapers, Ibrahim Mada, urged the DSS to avoid media trial of the ex-negotiator for the release of kidnapped Kaduna train passengers “whom they arrested and kept in detention since Tuesday, September 6.”
Mada claimed that most of the properties carted away by the DSS during the raids were not Mamu’s own.
The statement added: “The DSS in a press release on Thursday, September 8, 2022 titled ‘Update on Tukur Mamu’ claimed during their raids on his residence and office in Kaduna that a large sum of money in various currencies and denominations as well as military accoutrements were recovered.
“While the DSS did not indicate the actual amount of the so-called large sum found in his house and office, we want to make it clear that the ‘military accoutrements’ found in his house are military kits (uniform and barret) belonging to his son, Yahaha Bello, a Naval officer who graduated from NDA.
“Bello was brought up by Tukur and he lives in his house. Recall that about two weeks ago, Tukur Mamu’s younger brother, Muhammad Saleh Mamu, an Air Force officer was killed while on counter terrorism mission in Zamfara.”
Mada further noted that “apart from detaining Tukur Mamu with his two sons, Faisal Tukur Mamu and Ibrahim Husaini Mamu, DSS operatives early this morning, at 12 am (Friday, September 9, 2022) stormed the residence of Abdullahi Mashi collected handset phones of the residents as well as cash and other valuables in the house and whisked him away; Mashi is an in-law to Mamu.”
He added: “The DSS also raided the apartment of Ibrahim Husaini Mamu at about 3am this morning. They could not find anything incriminating in all the houses they raided.”
