Friday, May 24, 2013

London terror attack: British-born Michael Adebolajo named prime suspect •He is not a Nigerian, Nigerians in UK react


                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        
SEYI GESINDE captures the horrific attack of a British soldier by a British-born, Michael Adebolajo and his unnamed accomplice, at Woolwish, London, on Wednesday, exactly four years and 142 days after his compatriot, Farouk Abdulmutallab, popularly referred to as the “Underwear Bomber,” was arrested, on Christmas Day, December 25, 2009, in United States, after a flopped terror attack.
British-born Michael Adebolajo, former Greenwich University student has been named as one of the prime suspects in the hacking of British soldiers to death at Woolwish, London, on Wednesday.
Adebolajo, after he allegedly killed the  soldier on the London crowded street, was said to be chanting “Allah Akbar,” while he was also quoted to have declared in a video footage that: “You and your kids will be next.”
The London Metropolitan police officers investigating the alleged terror attack in Woolwich, have raided a house in Lincolnshire village.
While the officers swooped on the detached house, the name of one of the suspects was revealed on internet forums and Twitter as Michael Adebolajo.
Reports had it that police searched a £365,000 detached house in an estate in Lincolnshire village where Adebolajo reportedly lived with his parents.
Report had it that 28-year-old Adebolajo and his accomplice are believed to have run down the off-duty British soldier with a Vauxhall Tigra as he walked back to the Woolwich Barracks at 2.20 p.m. on Wednesday, crushing his body against a road sign.
According to an eye witnesses, the terror suspects then “hacked and chopped” at the soldier’s body like “crazed animals,” before dragging his corpse into the middle of the road leaving a trail of blood.
“As they apparently tried to decapitate him, they were chanting ‘Allah Akbar!’ an Islamic phrase meaning ‘God is great’ and yelling this is what God would have wanted,” an eye witness said.
Pictures released after the incident showed blood-soaked Adebolajo, who was still holding a number of weapons in his red-stained hands.
He was seen ranting on camera in a clear London accent saying: “You people will never be safe” before telling a passer-by they had not fled because they were waiting to “shoot the police.”
Armed officers who were said to have been alerted arrived the scene of the incident 20 minutes later and the fundamentalists seeing them charged at them wielding firearms, knives and a machete.
Consequently, police opened fire, shooting six bullets, leaving one seriously injured. The pair remain under armed guard in two separate hospitals in London.
Before their arrest, in a chilling rant captured on camera declared: “The only reason we have killed this man today is because Muslims are dying daily by British soldiers.
“Remove your governments , they don’t care about you. You think David Cameron is going to get caught in the street when we start bursting our guns? You think politicians are going to die?
“No, it’s going to be the average guy, like you, and your children,” he said in the video obtained by The Sun.
Before police arrived one of the killers was filmed giving his warped justification for the sickening attack: ‘We swear by Almighty Allah we will never stop fighting you.
The only reasons we have done this is because Muslims are dying every day.
“This British soldier is an eye for an eye a tooth for tooth. We apologise that women had to see this today but in our lands our women have to see the same.’
“You people will never be safe. Remove your government. They don’t care about you.
“You think David Cameron is going to get caught in the street when we start busting our guns? You think your politicians are going to die? No, it’s going to be the average guy like you – and your children.
“So get rid of them tell them to bring our troops back so we can ... so you can all live in peace,” the alleged killer said.
Wednesday’s slaughter took place 200 yards from The Royal Artillery Barracks in Woolwich and close to a primary school at 2.20pm.
Mixed reactions about Adebolajo’s background
Michael Olumide Adebolajo, was said to have been born in Lambeth, in December, 1984, to a Christian family. He grew up in Romford, travelled to school on the bus, played football and had lots of friends, The Guardian, UK sources said.
His friends from Marshalls Park School where he attended are finding it difficult to believe the ordinary British schoolboy they once knew is the same man seen carrying bloodied knives and justifying hacking a soldier to death in broad daylight on Wednesday.
“We left year 2001,” one said. “And he was always a good guy at school, do anything for anyone.”
Former neighbours of the family remembered the Adebolajos as friendly. One unidentified neighbour in particular remembered them as “very pleasant, a very ordinary normal family”.
They were churchgoers and attended services at the local church in Romford, Essex.
However, not every neighbour had fond memories of the family. Graham Silverton, 63, who lived two doors down from the Adebolajo family, described the experience as unpleasant.
He described Michael Adebolajo’s father as being “aggressive and short tempered”.
Silverton also recalled the neighbours living between him and the Adebolajos had a terrible experience with Michael. He said once the neighbour’s teenage daughter had gone to the Adebolajos to retrieve a ball she kicked into their garden, but was insulted and punched by Michael. The incident was never reported to police.
Silverton says he was “very pleased” when the Adebolajos moved out of the neighbourhood in 2004.
Friends at his school did not know of his conversion to Islam in 2003 or what triggered the radical switch in religious beliefs.
Michael changed his name to Mujahid, which means “one who engages in jihad”, and started attending meetings of Al Muhajiroun, an Islamist group that was banned after the 7/7 attacks in London.
But former leader of the group, Anjem Choudary, who confirmed knowing the suspect, denied that he was radicalised by the group. He said Michael stopped attending meetings two years ago and cannot account for what kind of teachings he was exposed to, but he adds that he would neither “condemn nor condone” the action of the 28-year-old.
Guardian UK reports that both Adebolajo and his accomplice, a Nigerian who naturalised in Britain, have featured in counter-terrorism investigations over the past eight years.
It is not clear how both men met. Adebolajo was reportedly seen in Woolwich handing out Islamist literature in High Street, the report said.
Parental background
Michael Adebolajo’s father has been identified to be Anthony Adebolajo, a trained nurse who works in a managerial capacity with the NHS, is said to be the father of Michael Adebolajo.
Anthony Adebolajo reportedly bought his London home in 2002. He is believed to have four children but according to neighbours, none of the children have lived in the house for an appreciable period.
The Sun, UK reports that online Muslim sources first identified the Woolwich terrorist in the video as a British citizen of Nigerian background who was converted to “a radical form of Islam.”
His south east London accent suggests he is British-born.
Digital Journal reporter confirmed the name “Adebolajo” to be of Yoruba SouthWestern Nigerian origin. His first name “Michael” confirms he is of Christian family origin, very likely educated middle class evangelical.
“US-style Christian evangelical groups are immensely popular among the educated middle class in South-Western Nigeria,” Digital Journal said.
However, reports said “it is believed that the Woolwich terrorists have no links to Islamist terror groups such as Boko Haram.”
He’s not a Nigerian, he was born, bred in London, Nigerians in United Kingdom react
Nigerians in the United Kingdom have kicked against the British authorities refering to Michael Adebolajo as a British-born of Nigerian descent.
A Nigerian, who reacted via a phone text message to Nigerian Tribune, wrote: “Is Barack Obama a Kenyan or an American?
“Please, let us do all we can to drop this tag. He (Adebolajo) is British, he is not one of us.”
Also, quoting reports from Nairaland, the online news medium wrote: “Information reaching us says that (one of the Woolwich, London killers) has been identified as Michael Adebolajo.
“While we are not denying the fact that he has ties with Nigeria, we believe it is important to understand the role that media sometimes play when it comes to spreading propaganda.
“Last summer, a gentleman (Anthony Joshua) won Olympic gold for the United Kingdom. He was well celebrated and it took a lot of us quite sometime to know that Anthony was a English-born of Nigerian descent.  Even his Wikipedia biography describes him as “an English Amateur Boxer.
Also, Philips Idowu, a Nigerian, won Silver for UK at the last Olympics, likewise Christine Ohuruogu and others won Gold medal for UK, they were not referred to then as Nigerians.
“We are not denying that the Woolwich killer does not have ties to our beloved country but it is important to know that: He is Black. His parents are Nigerian but was raised in the UK.
“He was not born a Muslim. He may have siblings who are not Muslims. He changed his religion in the UK. His conversion was in the UK. He probably has a British passport as well.
“Trying to blame the actions of a few on an entire race, country or religion is not only petty, it is hypocritical and unethical. Stop demonising people, races or religion there are only good people and bad ones.”
British police arrest two more over London attack
British police arrested two more people on Thursday in a hunt for accomplices of two British men of Nigerian descent accused of hacking a soldier to death on a London street in revenge for wars in Muslim countries.
The two suspected killers, now under guard in hospitals, had been known to security services before Wednesday’s daylight attack, security sources said. Another man and a woman, both aged 29, were detained on suspicion of conspiracy to murder.
So frenzied was the attack, some witnesses thought they were trying to behead and disembowel the victim, who was named as a 25-year-old Afghan war veteran working as an army recruiter.
The attack, just a month after the Boston Marathon bombing and the first Islamist killing in Britain since local suicide bombers killed 52 people in London in 2005, revived fears of “lone wolves” who may have had no direct contact with al Qaeda.
Jonathan condemns attack
PRESIDENT Goodluck Jonathan has strongly condemned the terrorist attack and killing of a British soldier, Drummer Lee Rigby of the 2nd Battalion the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers in the Woolwich area of London, United Kingdom.
He described the incident as an unfortunate occurrence in a statement issued by presidential spokesman, Dr. Reuben Abati in Abuja on Thursday.
The president conveyed his sincere condolences to the British Prime Minister David Cameron and the British people over “this senseless and barbaric act, and shares their grief at this moment.”
President noted that a terrorist attack anywhere was an attack on the way of life of all free nations and must be collectively condemned by all persons irrespective of race, ethnicity or religion.
The statement said that was in this spirit that the Nigerian government was partnering with the British Government, as well as all other stakeholder sovereigns to stand up to and fight terrorism and extremism in whatever guise or pretense it chooses to present itself.
It noted that the President recognized that “each environment presents its own unique challenges and peculiarities and actions taken by affected nations may differ, yet the resolve to confront and defeat this threat should never be in doubt.”
Jonathan added that “Nigerians are collectively resolute about the need to protect the freedoms that define our existence and inter-relationships at home and overseas
“Our recent past tells us that when we pull together, this common enemy and threat will eventually be defeated,” he stated.
London Killing: Tension Grips Nigerian Community in UK
Twenty four hours after the killing of a British soldier in Woolwich, South East London, Nigerian community in the area are under tension amidst fear of police clampdown on the area.
Nigerian Tribune talked on phone to three Nigerians in the area and they all expressed fears that the incident will make life very difficult for blacks and Nigerians who mostly dominated the area.
It was learnt that since Wednesday when the attack took place, leaders of Nigerian community in the area have been consulting on how to respond to the situation even as they accused the Nigerian embassy in London of keeping mute since the attack took place.
Woolwich was described as Nigerian dominated section of London with Nigerians of two to three generations known to be resident in the area. Report also confirmed that the area is also peopled mostly by Nigerians of Yoruba stock.
“Woolwich is our area in London. We are not known for extremism. We are here to earn a living. This incident is threatening our livelihood”, a Nigerian involved in the local politics of the area told the Nigerian Tribune on phone.
“I am from Ogun State and I can tell you that Yoruba community in Woolwich has a long history. The police never have problems with us. This attack will change all that. We are afraid. As I am talking to you, I am just a few meters away from the scene of the crime. This is our area,” the Abeokuta indigene said.
Another Nigerian said “the police will soon start stop and search. Any black in the area may be subjected to harassment and it is not likely to be business as usual again.
“We are in real mess except our government can act quickly to stop the police from targeting us. We are not terrorists. We Yorubas in London are known to be sociable. Those rogues just spoilt things for many of us who innocent”,  he said.
Another Nigerian spoken to on phone explained that the police are already showing signs of things to come, adding “yesterday, passengers on planes landing at the Heathrow airport were stopped form disembarking for about two hours.
“Littler time now, any Nigerian even outside Woolwich may be stopped and searched. We are likely to be seen and treated as potential terrorists. They wanted to start treating us like that during Abdulmutallab case.

Somehow they agreed we are law abiding people. We are afraid they may not spare us this time around``, the Woolwich based Ondo indigene explained on phone.
Slain soldier identified as young father
The British soldier who was murdered in a terrifying attack in London has been identified as Lee Rigby, 25. Lee was an avid drummer and a father to a two-year-old boy. So sad.
Lee Rigby has been identified as the soldier who was killed in the devastating terrorist attack in London on May 22. Lee, 25, who is described as “cheeky and humorous,” was a “loving father” to his 2-year-old son called Jack, and he was a fan of drumming and soccer. The Ministry of Defense has since released a touching statement about the man known as “Riggers.”
 Lee was described as a “loving father” to his young son Jack, who will sadly never see him again. He also had a estranged wife, who has not been named.
Lee was clearly at the height of his career when he was unjustly killed, and he is described as a wonderful friend and a larger-than-life person. He lived life to the fullest, and he was highly respected in the army.
Dozens of bouquets of flowers have been laid where he was killed, showing how much the public have been affected by his death, with many calling him a “hero,” says the Daily Mail.
Read the touching statement below from Ministry of Defence, UK:
Drummer Lee Rigby, or ‘Riggers’ to his friends, was born in July 1987 in Crumpsall, Manchester.
“He joined the Army in 2006 and on successful completion of his infantry training course at Infantry Training Centre Catterick he was selected to be a member of the Corps of Drums and posted to 2nd Battalion, The Royal Regiment of Fusiliers. His first posting was as a machine gunner in Cyprus where the Battalion was serving as the resident Infantry Battalion in Dhekelia.
“Having performed a plethora of tasks while in Cyprus, he returned to the UK in the early part of 2008 to Hounslow, west London. Here, Drummer Rigby stood proudly outside the Royal Palaces as part of the Battalion’s public duties commitment. He was an integral member of the Corps of Drums throughout the Battalion’s time on public duties, the highlight of which was being a part of the Household Division’s Beating the Retreat – a real honour for a line infantry Corps of Drums.
“In April 2009 Drummer Rigby deployed on Operations for the first time to Helmand province, Afghanistan, where he served as a member of the Fire Support Group in Patrol Base Woqab. On returning to the UK he completed a second tour of public duties and then moved with the Battalion to Celle, Germany, to be held at a state of high readiness for contingency operations as part of the Small Scale Contingency Battle Group.
“In 2011 Drummer Rigby took up a Recruiting post in London where he also assisted with duties at Regimental Headquarters in the Tower of London.
“An extremely popular and witty soldier, Drummer Rigby was a larger than life personality within the Corps of Drums and was well known, liked and respected across the Second Fusiliers. He was a passionate and life-long Manchester United fan.
“A loving father to his son Jack, aged two years, he will be sorely missed by all who knew him. The regiment’s thoughts and prayers are with his family during this extremely difficult time. “Once a Fusilier, always a Fusilier.”
“Two suspects have been arrested and Prime Minister David Cameron says Britain’s security services will not rest until they bring all those responsible to justice.
Tribune

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