Controversial Islamic scholar, Sheikh Ahmad Gumi, has accused the Department of State Services (DSS) of terrorism for arresting bandits negotiator, Tukur Mamu, “unjustly”.
Gumi urged the DSS to either release Mamu or charge him to court. Citing the law, he said anybody arrested over an alleged crime needs to be taken to court within 24 hours.
The Kaduna-based cleric stated this during his weekly preaching at Sultan Bello Mosque.
WITHIN NIGERIA recalls that operatives of the secrete police arrested Mamu and four members of his family at the Malam Aminu Kano International Airport on Wednesday after they were deported from Egypt on the request of Nigeria’s intelligence agencies.
The publisher was said to be travelling to Saudi Arabia for lesser hajj together with his two wives, his eldest son, Faisal Mamu and brother-in-law, Ibrahim Tinja.
While Mamu’s wives have been released, the publisher, his son and brother-in-law are still in custody.
The DSS subsequently said Mamu has questions to answer on the rising insecurity in the country.
Gumi said Mamu was arrested because of his role in assisting victims of terrorist attacks.
The cleric added that the arrest of Mamu was God’s way of testing his faith, praying that Mamu would overcome it.
He said, “Take him to court to face trial. Keeping him in custody despite being a family man was just to intimidate him. This intimidation is also terrorism. Arresting people unjustly is also terrorism; just like the terrorists do by going to somebody’s house to kidnap him.
“How can we continue in this situation under a government that is about to wind up? Our hope is for them to finish successfully not in a bad light. It’s not about Tukur Mamu, you all know that whenever they arrest innocent people, I always talk, not to talk of someone that I know and I’m only advising the government to release him so that we can apologize to him to forget what happened.”