A prominent self-appointed negotiator who facilitated the release of dozens of captives from armed kidnappers in Nigeria has been arrested in Egypt.
The Nigerian authorities say Tukur Mamu was seized on Tuesday in Cairo on his way to Saudi Arabia and has been repatriated.
He was reportedly traveling to Saudi Arabia for Umrah (an Islamic activity that is not mandatory, unlike the annual Hajj pilgrimage).
Nigeria’s secret police, the Department of State Services (DSS), says Mr. Mamu is in its custody to “answer critical questions on ongoing investigations relating to some security matters”.
Its spokesman Peter Afunanya says Mr. Mamu’s arrest followed Nigeria’s request to ‘” foreign partners” to intercept Mr. Mamu because he is a “person of interest”.
Mr. Mamu had negotiated with armed kidnappers who abducted nearly 70 passengers from a train traveling from the capital, Abuja, to the northern city of Kaduna in March.
Most of the captives have been released reportedly after their families paid hundreds of thousands of dollars as ransom to the abductors.
Some of the people abducted are still in captivity six months after they were seized.
Nigerian authorities said Boko Haram militants had teamed up with gunmen who carry out kidnappings for ransom to attack the train.
The victims included women, children, and the elderly. [BBC]