How he became radicalised in British varsity
Aminu Sadiq Ogwuche, the alleged
mastermind of the Nyanya bomb blast is said to have been radicalised
while studying at university in South Wales, a report published in Daily Mail Friday revealed.
Ogwuche who dubbed himself ‘The Lion of
God’ threatened to cut the hands and feet of non-believers while he was
living in Britain.
The 29-year-old who was said to have
escaped to Sudan was declared wanted by security authorities early in
the week. But the terror kingpin was arrested by the Interpol in the
Islamic country on suspicion of carrying out terror attacks in Nigeria
which killed more than 90 people.
Boko Haram is also behind the abduction
of 300 schoolgirls who are currently being held captive in a forest near
the border with Cameroon.
But Ogwuche who dropped out of the
university is said to have become radicalised while studying Business
science at the University of Glamorgan from 2007 to 2010 while living in
Pontyridd.
The University of Glamorgan is now the University of South Wales.
He was a member of the university’s
debating society and wrote on an online professional profile: “I used to
be in the military back at home and my goal now is to be a successful
businessman.”
He failed to finish the course but was a regular at the campus prayer room where he would regularly pray with fellow students.
Friends have told of their shock that he
was alleged to be involved with the Nigerian terror group which
outraged the world by seizing the schoolgirls.
Mustafa Ja, a Dutch student who studied
at the university from 2009 to 2011, said he had met Amin several times
in the prayer room on campus.
He said: “I’m shocked. Wow, I’m just
really shocked. I used to meet him during Friday prayers and whenever we
broke our fast at the mosque on campus.
“He didn’t seem to have any extremist
views then – police officers would come and visit the prayer room
regularly, so I don’t see how he could.”
A former house mate who said he knew him
briefly during his time in Pontypridd said former students found it
“very creepy” that Ogwuche may have become caught up in terrorism.
Anju Moro said: “He was very devout but
then many people are. He would often just spend time in his room between
going to and from prayers but he seemed harmless, if very serious.
“It is very creepy that he could have
been having thoughts like that but he disappeared years ago so I suppose
you can never know, can you?”
While living in South Wales, posts on his social media page became more and more extreme.
In early 2010, a chilling post on
Facebook said: “Those who strive in the path of Allah love death like
the kuffar love life, hahaha. Let them know, we are always ready to meet
our lord anytime he wills.”
In 2011 after a series of increasingly
extreme posts, he wrote: “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 on opposite sides, or they should be imprisoned.”
Another post said: “We warn you to give
up your disobedience to Allah and surrender to him or wait we bring your
humiliation; then you will be regretful and on the knees.”
His profile picture is of a lion with the word “Asadullah”, meaning ‘Lion of God.’
He is a member of Paltalk – the world’s largest online video chat community boasting more than four million members.
But it has also been abused by Muslim extremists to preach hate.
Anjem Choudary, founder of the banned
group, Islam 4 UK, Omar Bakri Mohammed, who caused outrage in Britain by
praising the hijackers behind the September 11, 2001 attacks and was
banned from re-entering the UK in the wake of the 7/7 bombings, and
Abdullah el-Faisal, who was deported in 2007, were said to have joined
forces to use the site to preach their message around the world.
At the same time as Ogwuche was
seemingly posting messages of hate, he was advertising himself as a
respectable business professional online where he claimed he had
completed his degree course in business studies.
He also claimed he had previously worked for the Nigerian Army’s intelligence division.
After leaving Britain in November 2011,
he was arrested at Abuja airport on arrival from the UK on suspected
terrorism-related activities but was released to the care of his father,
a retired army colonel, following protests from rights groups.
He has since been arrested in Sudan
where he is suspected of being the co-mastermind of a two bomb attacks
in the past month in a Nyanya, Abuja, which killed more than 90 people.
Five Boko Haram militants have been
arrested as suspects in the car bombings in Nyanya on April 14 and May 1
this year, security officials said.
Information they provided pointed to Ogwuche and another man, Rufai Abubakar Tsiga, as masterminds.
Ogwuche reportedly served in the
intelligence unit of the Nigerian army but deserted in 2006, according
to Nigeria’s Ministry of Information.
A spokesperson for the University of
South Wales said: “Aminu Ogwuche was a student at the former University
of Glamorgan between 2007 and 2010 but didn’t go on to complete his
studies at the university.
“The university has a strong community
ethos with no history or evidence of extremist behaviour across any of
its campuses; so it is surprised to hear of his apparent involvement
with terrorist group, Boko Haram.
“There were no reported indications of extremist behaviour during his time as a student.
“There has been no contact between Mr Ogwuche and the University following his departure in 2010.”
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