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Kenyan suspect joins Shabaab in Somalia

The Star (Nairobi)
Wednesday, June 12, 2013

A Kenyan terror suspect charged alongside British national Jermaine Grant and two others in Mombasa has escaped and joined the al Shabaab terror group in Somalia.

Fuad Abubakar Manswab, who hails from Majengo area in Mombasa, is among key al Shabaab leaders launching terror attacks against Kenya.

He was arrested by anti-terror police unit officers alongside Grant and two others as they planned to detonate explosives in Mombasa on December 20, 2011.

They were charged with being in possession of explosives, being members of an organised group (al Shabaab) and preparing to commit a felony.

Abubakar jumped bail in November 2011 after he and suspects Grant’s wife Warder Breikh Islam and Frank Ngala were granted a bail of Sh20 million each and one surety.

Ngala remains in custody after failing to raise the bond. Warder and Abubakar, who are both Kenyans, raised the bond but the latter disappeared after the first hearing of the case.

Senior officers from the anti-terrorism unit have confirmed that Abubakar entered Somalia at a border point in Lamu this year.

A senior ATPU officer told the Star Abubakar is suspected to be coordinating the terror activities in the country by funding and training youth to fight in Somalia and launch attacks in Kenya.

Abubkar an ally of Jermaine Grant, were working with fugitive Samantha Lewthwaite, the widow of London Underground bomber Jermaine Lindsay as financier of Alshabab terror group in East Africa..

“He is very dangerous but we are being alert to ensure that he doesn’t cross into the country although he continues to pose a major security threat in the country,” said the ATPU officer .

It is believed they develop plans to conduct terrorist attacks inside Kenya and deploying several operational cells for the purpose of launching attacks from within Kenya.

According to multiple sources within the police cycle Abubakar escaped police raid on October 28 last year where police gunned down terror suspects Omar Faraj, 30, and Titus Nabiswa, 27, a Muslim convert from Western Kenya at Majengo area in Mombasa.

Those close to the operation said Abubakar escaped with bullet wounds after he jumped through the window during the highly coordinated raid conducted by ATPU officers.

“We heard information that Abubakar was among the suspects plotting terror attacks within Mombasa, we raided and managed to kill the two and recovered a cache of weapons,” according to head of ATPU Boniface Mwaniki.

He was shot and wounded in the shoulder during the shootout but he managed to escape.

Meanwhile police have linked the grenade attacks that almost occurred simultaneously in Mombasa and Nairobi’s California estate on Sunday where almost 20 people were injured.

Similar explosive devices, a Russian Made hand grenades were lobbed to worshippers in Likoni and Pedestrians which is an indication that the same group was behind it.

Coast Police boss Aggrey Adoli has said that the team of officers has been put together to look into obtaining crucial evidence leading to the apprehension of the two suspects who carried out the attack on the Earthquake Miracle Ministry Church in Likoni.

Adoli further reminded Coast residents that the ban on crusades past 5:30 pm that was issued last year is still in effect.

He urged residents to adhere to the directives to ensure their own safety and enable the police to protect them,” said Adoli.



 





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