From Noah Ebije, Kaduna
Operatives of the Department of State Service (DSS) on Thursday ransacked the residence and office of Malam Tukur Mamu, Publisher of Kaduna based Desert Herald and Media Spokesman to the Islamic cleric, Sheikh Ahmad Gumi.
A source said heavily armed DSS Operatives stormed Mamu’s residence and the office of the Desert Herald newspaper at about 12:30 am on Thursday.
Until his arrest, Mamu was one of the negotiators between the terrorists that attacked the March 28, Abuja-Kaduna bound AK-9 train passengers and the families of the abductees.
It was gathered that the DSS Operatives ransacked every nook and cranny of the house and took away laptops, phones and documents.
However, the source said it was not certain if anything incriminating was found in both the residence and the office.
According to him, no fewer than 50 heavily armed operatives in Toyota Hilux, Toyota Highlander as well as military vehicles raided both the residence and office.
He added that the two wives of the ex-negotiator that were with him when he was arrested, were brought back to the house, “but his two sons are still with him in detention.”
He said, “The heavily armed operatives came and they searched everywhere both at the residence and his office but nothing suspicious was found during the operation that started at about 12.30am
“Over 50 of them came in, fully armed with sophisticated weapons in Army vehicles, Toyota Hilux, Toyota Highlander.
“His two wives that were with him(Mamu) were returned but his two sons, Faisal and Ibrahim are still with him in detention.
“They seized our phones and laptops computers.”
Mamu was arrested in Cairo, the Egyptian capital, on Tuesday.
The terrorists’ negotiator was said to have been arrested in Egypt alongside his family members.
Mamu was said to be on his way to Saudi Arabia for the lesser Hajj when he was detained at the Cairo International Airport.
Confirming the arrest, the Management of the Desert Herald Newspaper, said the arrest was an attempt to intimidate its publisher.
In a statement on Wednesday by its Head, Special Projects, Ibrahim Mada, the management accused the Federal government of contriving the arrest, deportation of Mamu from Egypt to Nigeria.