It has been revealed that international terrorist network, al-Qaeda, is planning to recruit educated Nigerians into its fold for terrorist activities.
This was part of the details contained in court processes filed by the Federal Ministry of Justice before the Federal High Court in Abuja as part of an extradition request case for a Nigerian in the custody of the State Security Services.
According to court papers, the Nigerian, Lawal Olaniyi Babafemi, who escaped arrest in the United States and was arrested in Nigeria, informed security agencies during interrogation that he was paid thousands of dollars to recruit English-speaking Nigerians into the terrorist organization.
He had escaped arrest and fled the US after realizing that the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) was after him, only for him to fall into the net of the SSS.
The Federal Government is asking the court to extradite 32-year-old Babafemi, also nicknamed (‘Abdullah’ and ‘Ayatollah Mustapher’) to the United States where he is being wanted for his alleged involvement in terrorism-related activities.
In an application for extradition filed before the court, the Federal Government exhibited a four-count charge marked 13CR-109-JG filed against him before the United States District Court of the Eastern District of New York and a bench warrant issued for his arrest by a US magistrate.
Babafemi is charged with “conspiracy to provide support to a foreign terrorist organisation, provision and attempted provision of material support to a foreign terrorist organisation, unlawful use of firearms and conspiracy to unlawfully use firearms.”
The offences, on conviction, attract a minimum sentence of 10 years or maximum sentence of life imprisonment.
Documents filed by the Federal Government before the court revealed that the US authorities believe that Babafemi belongs to the “al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP),” an affiliate of al-Qaeda.
He allegedly travelled to Yemen between January 2010 and August 2011 to train with the group and relate with its senior members, including the now deceased Anwar al-Aulaqi and Samir Khan.
Babafemi was said to have admitted, upon interrogation, that he was paid about $8,600 by the AQAP to return to Nigeria and recruit some English-speaking individuals to work in AQAP’s English language media organisation.
The media organsation is believed to serve as the AQAP’s medium of radicalising English speakers, whom it recruits to commit terrorist attacks on its behalf.
The group had claimed responsibility for series of terrorist activities, including the December 25, 2009 bombing attempt in the US by a Nigerian, Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab.
The extradition application could not be heard when it was taken to court owing to its late service on Babafemi’s counsel, S. O. Yahaya.
State’s counsel and Head, Central Authority Unit, Federal Ministry of Justice, Muslim Hassan, who said court processes were served on Babafemi a day before his appearance in court, however, agreed to Yahaya’s request for more time to file his counter-processes.
The trial judge, Justice A. R. Mohammed, later fixed hearing in the suit for August 28.