Boko Haram Ringleader Born in UK and Radicalized at British University

Telegraph
May 18, 2014

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Aminu Sadiq Ogwuche was studying at a British university just 4 years ago. Now he is a ringleader in Boko Haram.

A British-born “ringleader” of the Islamist group responsible for the kidnapping of hundreds of school girls in Nigeria was radicalised while studying at a UK university, according to friends.

Aminu Sadiq Ogwuche, 29, was arrested on Wednesday in connection with two recent bombings carried out by Boko Haram in the Nigerian capital Abuja that killed nearly 100 people.

He is suspected of co-masterminding the attacks – one in the suburb of Nyanya that killed 75 people on April 14 and a second attack just yards away which killed 19 people earlier this month.

Interpol put out an international arrest warrant for Mr Ogwuche, who was discovered after a reward of £100,000 led to his discovery in Sudan.

He had reportedly been learning Arabic at the the International University of Africa in Sudan and was held as he tried to obtain a Turkish visa in the capital, Khartoum.

Mr Ogwuche, the son of a retired Nigerian colonel, was said by fellow students at University of Glamorgan in Wales to call himself “The Lion of God” and threatened to cut the hands and feet of non-believers while living in Britain.

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Vehicles on fire after a Boko Haram bomb attack in Nyanya on April 14.

The Nigerian, who studied business science from 2007 until he dropped out in 2010, was a member of the university’s debating society and wrote on an online profile: “I used to be in the military back at home and my goal now is to be a successful businessman.”

While living in South Wales his posts on his social media page became more extreme.

In early 2010 he said on Facebook: “Those who strive in the path of Allah love death like the kuffar (non-believer) love life, hahaha. Let them know, we are always ready to meet our lord anytime he wills.”

In a Facebook post in 2011 he said: “The only punishment of those who wage war against Allah and His Messenger and strive to make mischief in the land is that they should be murdered, or crucified, or their hands and their feet should be cut off, or they should be imprisoned.”

Another of the posts said: “We warn you to give up your disobeyance to Allah and surrender to him or wait we bring your humiliation then you will be regretful and on the knees.”

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Funny, but even though he was born in Britain, he doesn’t look British at all.

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