The family of Tukur Mamu, Publisher of Desert Herald Newspaper arrested by the Department of State Services DSS has countered the alleged discoveries in the his house and office, saying the Service is not saying the truth.
According to a statement, the family said the military accoutrements said to have been discovered in the house, belonged to a nephew of Mamu currently serving in the Nigerian Armed Forces; a 2019 graduate of the Nigerian Defence Academy Regular Course.
The said Nephew identified as Y. Y. Bello was said to be brought up by Mamu and a member of the family.
The family also said by not declaring the definite amount in foreign currencies said to be discovered, the service is hiding something and may plan to rope the Publisher into crimes he might not have committed. They said as a business man, no law that prevent him from keeping certain amount of money in his house or office.
The statement further said whatever amount in foreign currencies the service discovered, is not much to have warranted describing it using such words and phrase to make it sound as great sum out of the reach and income of Mamu.
The family assured that truth would prevail and Manu would be vindicated.
The statement captioned “Another vainglorious attempt to give Mamu a bad name by DSS” reads;
“The family of Malam Tukur Mamu, the publisher of Desert Herald read with dismay the cooked up and phantom allegations the Department of Security Services (DSS) concocted in its desperation to give the publisher a bad name in order to rope him.
“In a press statement it issued yesterday, DSS made blanket statements without bordering to give details despite the critical question of national security which in the first place, is the underlying reason for Mamu’s arrest. We view this deliberate distortion of facts with the intention of twisting narratives about Tukur Mamu with exception.
“In the statement, the department made allusions that military accoutrements and hard currency were found in the home of Tukur Mamu with a view to sway public opinion against the publisher who has made supreme sacrifices towards nixing the raging insecurity in the land.
“The public may wish to know that the military accoutrements found in the home of the publisher belongs to his nephew who passed out from Nigerian Defence Academy on 5th October, 2019. Tukur Mamu who played the role of a father, was responsible for the upkeep and school expenses of the nephew till he enrolled in the Nigerian Navy.
“Again in its desperation to smear the name of Mamu, the DSS said it has found huge amount of hard currency without stating how much it found.
“It is incumbent for the general public to know that the total amount of the hard currency found in Mamu’s house is something that someone in his position can keep, yet the DSS is trying to make the situation look bad by saying huge haul of hard currency was found in his house.
“At this point it is pertinent to ask when does it become a crime for someone to within his income limit had foreign currency in his house? Or is it a crime for one to have a member of his family in the Nigerian Armed Forces?
“This distortion of information and media trial against Mamu is a pointer to the desperation of the DSS to rope the man at all cost for the sacrifices he is making to ensure an end to the raging insecurity in the land.
“We know that a number of conflict entrepreneurs within and outside the security forces who are behind the raging insecurity will do everything to sustain the inglorious reign of terrorism in our fatherland for their pecuniary interests.
“Anybody perceived as a threat to this bloody enterprise must be crushed with vengeance. It is in this realm that the persecution of Mamu should be situated.
“But we the members of his family, associates and friends believed that the will of Allah must certainly prevail no matter the antics of antagonists, traducers and enemies. History is on the side of the oppressed”.
