A group from the North, the Concerned Civil Society Network, is worried about the situation of Tukur Mamu, the Publisher of Kaduna-based Desert Herald Newspaper, who is being held by the Department of State Services.
The group also criticized the public trial of Mamu, saying that the Nigerian Sanctions Committee did not have the right to declare him a financier for terrorists.
The Federal Government recently revealed the names of 15 entities, including nine individuals, such as Mamu and six Bureau De Change operators and firms, who are believed to be involved in financing terrorism.
The Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit shared the details in an email to The PUNCH titled “Designation of Individuals and Entities for March 18, 2024.”
Mamu’s lawyer opposed the list and threatened legal action if it was not withdrawn.
The group's leader, Bako Usman, spoke at a press conference in Kaduna, expressing concern about Mamu's prolonged detention since 2022 in the DSS facility.
He expressed disapproval of the government designating Mamu, a media consultant to Kaduna-based Islamic cleric, Sheikh Ahmad Gumi, as a financier for terrorists.
He mentioned, “We, as concerned civil society organization, have decided to speak up after a long season of silence in the face of an attempt to deny most Nigerians their fundamental human right by forces that be as Tukur Mamu is equally not an exception.
“It is almost two years now that the publisher, a journalist, and most of all, a Nigerian who was arrested and incarcerated for crimes bothering on sponsorship of terrorism. Ordinarily, our organization would not have spoken out, but recent events have pushed us to.
“First, we are appalled at the attempt to use media as the staging ground to tell the world that the publisher of Desert Herald Newspaper, Mallam Tukur Mamu, is one of the financiers of terrorism.
“Recently, Mamu’s health has deteriorated to a concerning level with life-threatening conditions. The DSS verified this, but they denied him suitable medical care or allowed his personal doctor to see him.
“Courts had ruled that Mamu should be urgently allowed to see his doctors for critical medical treatment, but the Federal Government rejected this.”
