Justice Inyang Ekwo of the Federal High Court in Abuja has rejected the request by alleged terrorist negotiator Mohammed Tukur Mamu to be transferred from the custody of the Department of State Services (DSS) to the Kuje Correctional Centre.
Delivering the ruling on Monday, Justice Ekwo stated that the Federal Government opposed the transfer due to concerns about frequent jailbreaks at Kuje Correctional Centre.
The judge noted that Mamu did not dispute the government’s claims, as required by law.
Since these claims were uncontested by Mamu, they are considered factual, and facts that are admitted require no further proof, the judge concluded.
The judge subsequently ordered that Mohammed Tukur Mamu remain in DSS custody throughout his trial on criminal charges.
However, Justice Ekwo reaffirmed his earlier directive that Mamu be allowed access to his physician for medical treatment under DSS supervision.
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Mamu, through his lawyer, had alleged on April 29 that the court’s December 19, 2023, order for medical access had not been fully complied with by the DSS.
In his motion, Mamu claimed he was granted access to his physician only once, during which a comprehensive medical examination report was submitted to the DSS.
Following the report’s submission, Mamu alleged that his physician had been denied further access, despite his urgent need for surgical operations.
He asserted that his health had deteriorated and warned that he might die if not transferred from DSS custody to Kuje Prison.
Mamu promised to attend court regularly and stressed that he could only stand trial if he remained alive.
Mamu was arrested at the Aminu Kano International Airport on September 6, 2022, upon his arrival from Egypt, due to his alleged connections with the terrorists who attacked the Abuja-Kaduna train on March 28, 2022.
The DSS arraigned him on March 21, 2023, on ten counts of terrorism financing and other charges, to which he pleaded not guilty.
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