Sheik Ahmad Gumi, renowned Islamic cleric, has said Mallam Tukur Mamu, Kaduna-based publisher, should be punished if found guilty of terrorism charges.

Mamu has been in the custody of the Department of State Services (DSS) since he was arrested in Cairo, capital of Egypt, in September 2022.

The lead negotiator between bandits and the passengers kidnapped from a Kaduna-bound train in March 2022, was with his family members when he was picked up on his way to Saudi Arabia for lesser Hajj.

On Wednesday, news broke that Mamu alongside 14 others had been listed as terrorist financiers.

But speaking when he featured on Twitter spaces organised by Daily Trust on Wednesday, the Sheik said the security agencies had no right to label anyone a terrorist financier.

He said the since the case was before the court, such pronouncement ought to be made by the court, not security agency.

DSS had arraigned Mamu before a Federal High Court in Abuja on a 10-count charge bordering on terrorism financing, among others, but he pleaded not guilty.

Gumi said what happened between Mamu and the security agency was a clear case of misunderstanding but he did not want to comment on it at the moment since the case was before the court.

“Mamu’s case is in the court. Let’s wait to hear from the court. It’s wrong to resort to media trial. Let’s wait for the court to state of he is a financier or not. I think if he is acquitted, he has a strong case to make on libel.

Who declares someone a terrorist financer? Is it the court of law or a security agency? Security agency has no right to declare anyone a terrorist financer. The case is already in court, so why are they judging him on the pages of the newspaper? Once a case is in court, you allow the court to decide.”

Asked to clear his name since sone persons were already linking him in the controversy, the Sheik said, “I am a public figure; many people come to me. The good, the bad, the ugly. As a preacher, I cannot send anybody away, no matter how bad. If you ask, especially pastors, armed robbers come to them and confess but they cannot still take them to the authorities. What I know of Mamu and his arrest is a misunderstanding between him and the committee that was supposed to deal with the release of some victims. But since the case is in court, we hope the court will be just to him. That is what we wanted all along; take him to court. Instead of incarcerating someone and leveling phantom allegations against him. Bring your proofs, And if Mamu is found guilty, he should have full fledged punishment. But as of what I know, let’s wait for the court.”

Shortly after the arrest of Mamu two years ago, Gumi had said he was arrested because of his role in assisting victims of terrorist attacks.

The cleric, who said God has a way of testing a believer, added that the arrest of Mamu was God’s way of testing his faith, praying that Mamu would overcome it.

“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,” he had said.