A Nigerian citizen pleaded guilty yesterday to U.S. charges of providing material support to an al Qaeda affiliate, and participating in its media and recruitment campaigns.
Lawal Olaniyi Babafemi, 33, appearing before a federal judge in Brooklyn, New York, pleaded guilty to providing material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization.
The plea came ahead of a July 14 trial date and followed a Nigerian court’s decision in August to grant a U.S. request for Babafemi’s extradition.
Prosecutors said that, from January 2010 to August 2011, Babafemi traveled from Nigeria to Yemen twice to meet with leaders of al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, known as AQAP.
“The defendant traveled to Yemen to put himself at the disposal of a violent terrorist organization that has repeatedly demonstrated its determination to inflict bodily and economic harm on the United States and its citizens,” Brooklyn U.S. Attorney Loretta Lynch said in a statement.
The U.S. government said Babafemi worked on AQAP’s media operations, including the publication of its magazine, called “Inspire.”
The group’s leadership, including Anwar al-Awlaki, paid Babafemi almost $9,000 to recruit English-speaking people from Nigeria, prosecutors said. Awlaki, a U.S. citizen born in New Mexico, was killed in a U.S. drone strike in Yemen in 2011.
An indictment unsealed in February 2013 charged Babafemi, also known as “Ayatollah Mustapha,” with four counts including conspiracy to provide material support to AQAP, and use of firearms.
U.S. District Judge John Gleeson scheduled sentencing for August 27. Babafemi faces a maximum of 30 years in prison. Click to signup for FREE news updates, latest information and hottest gists everyday
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Yoruba man again!! chai! no Muslim can be trusted, even d IBO Muslims if thre is any, they are all d same, terrorists!!!!
ReplyDeleteWhat a man sow, he 'll reap. I'm quite sure wen Babafemi was enterg into dis crime, 'Fighting against d finger dat fed him' he ws aware of d consiquencies. I believe no evil must allow 2 go unponished
ReplyDeleteTerrorist set of people! Everywhere you go, anywhere u hear of terrorist, it has to be a muslim person. I think they are cursed with a curse of killing innocent people. Islamic religion is a curse to the whole world!
ReplyDeleteMuslism is a religion of violence, no matter the race, language or nationality of the person. Right from the founder to date, violence,hate and anger has been the driving force to get converts.
ReplyDeletehang the idiot
ReplyDeletePls, treat him as Boko!
ReplyDelete