Justice Mohammed Umar of the Federal High Court in Abuja has scheduled the hearing of a fresh bail application filed by alleged terrorist negotiator Tukur Mamu for July 22, 2025.
The date was fixed following a request for adjournment by Mamu’s counsel, Johnson Usman, SAN, who sought additional time to review and respond to a counter-affidavit served by the Federal Government’s lawyer, David Kaswe.
In his motion on notice, Mamu sought two key orders: first, to be granted bail pending trial on grounds of ill health; alternatively, an order directing the Federal Government to take him to a hospital for a surgical procedure recommended by both Egyptian and Nigerian doctors.
Mamu’s application presented four grounds for consideration, emphasizing that he faced criminal charges as per court records and was requesting the court’s discretion to grant bail due to his deteriorating health. He argued that he urgently required surgery and that only the court could exercise its discretion to admit him to bail pending the final determination of his case.
However, in a counter-affidavit sworn by Michael Akawo, a Litigation Clerk at the Department of Public Prosecutions, Federal Ministry of Justice, it was noted that Mamu had previously applied for bail, which the court duly considered and denied.
Akawo argued that Mamu had not presented any new or exceptional circumstances to justify reconsideration of the bail application. He also emphasized that the terrorism offenses Mamu is charged with are ordinarily non-bailable.
Contrary to Mamu’s claim in paragraph 4(a) of his affidavit, Akawo stated that Mamu was not a member of any Federal Government committee established for the release of victims of the March 28 Abuja-Kaduna train attack.
He urged the court to reject the bail application in the interest of justice and public safety.
Earlier, Justice Inyang Ekwo of the Federal High Court, Abuja, had declined to grant bail to Mamu.
On March 21, 2023, the Federal Government arraigned Mamu on a 10-count terrorism charge, alleging that he aided terrorist operations in Nigeria. Mamu pleaded not guilty.
Among the allegations, he was accused of collecting various sums of money from families of victims of the train attack on behalf of the Boko Haram terrorist sect—allegations which he has denied.
