The Federal Government has initiated extradition proceeding
against a Nigerian at Federal High Court in Abuja , of 32
years old Lawal Olaniyi Babafemi a.k.a and “Ayatollah Mustapher’’, who was
accused of belonging to a foreign terrorist organization, al-Qaeda.,to be
extradite to the United States, where he is wanted over his alleged involvement
in terrorism related activities.
Specifically, the suspect was charged with “conspiracy to
provide support to a foreign terrorist organization, provision and attempted
provision of material support to a foreign terrorist organization, unlawful use
of firearms and conspiracy to unlawfully use firearms.”
Upon conviction, the charge
against him attracts a minimum sentence of 10 years and maximum of life
imprisonment.
FG maintained that Babafemi, who until now, was based in the US,
fled to the country upon realizing that he was to be arrested by men of the
United States’ Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
He had since been arrested and is being held by the Department
of State Services (DSS).
Documents filed by the FG
before the Abuja court further revealed that the US authorities are of the view
that Babafemi belongs to the “al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP)” an
affiliate of al-Qaeda.
He allegedly traveled 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 organization.
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 he was taken to court on Thursday owing to its late
service on Babafemi’s lawyer, S. O. Yahaya.
Source:vanguard ng
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