Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab has been charged with attempting to destroy a Northwest Airlines jet. That Umar farouk is a Nigerian is no longer news, a fact many Nigerians claim is not true, but he is the 23-year-son of Alhaji Umaru Mutallab, a former First Bank Chairman, a former Minister and prominent banker recently retired from the Bank’s board
The older Mutallab, had just left his Katsina hometown for Abuja to speak with security agencies, family sources say. According to the family members, Mutallab has been uncomfortable with the boy’s extreme religious views and had six months ago reported his activities to United States’ Embassy, Abuja and Nigerian security agencies.
The older Mutallab was said to be devastated on hearing the news of Abdul Farouk’s attempted bombing and arrest. A source close to him said he was surprised that after his reports to the US authorities, the young man was allowed to travel to the United States.
The family home of the Mutallabs in Central London, is currently being searched by men of the Metropolitan Police.
The suspect, Abdulfarouk Umar Muttalab who is an engineering student at the University College, London had been noted for his extreme views on religion since his secondary school days at the British International School, Lome, Togo.
At the secondary school, he was known for preaching about Islam to his school mates and he was popularly called “Alfa”, a local coinage for Islamic scholar. After his secondary school, the suspect went to University College London to study engineering and later relocated to Egypt, and then Dubai. While in Dubai in the United Arab Emirates, he declared to his family members that he did not want to have anything to do with any of them again.
His father, Muttalab is a regular visitor to the US where he visits for medical check-up and holidays. He is expected to issue a statement later today.
Abdul Mudallad (aka Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab)was subdued and prevented from blowing up a U.S. airliner by fellow passengers and the flight crew. Mudallad left Lagos, Nigeria on Christmas eve to the Netherlands where he on Friday in Amsterdam boarded Northwest Airlines flight 253 bound for Detroit, Michigan, U.S. He was traveling one way, without a return ticket. The flight had 278 passengers aboard.
Twenty minutes prior to landing in Detroit, the cabin erupted with firecracker sounding explosion followed with smoke smell. A passenger sitting across the direction of the mini explosion, climbed over others to confront the suspect while other passengers and flight crew rushed to assist him. The suspect was subdued and taken to the front of the plane with his hands, pants and legs burnt from the explosion. He was taken to the burn unit of the University of Michigan Medical Center in Ann Arbor, 20 miles from the airport.
Most Nigerians had initially thought he was an imposter trying to blacklist Nigeria and Nigerians, because it is easy and cheap to obtain a Nigerian passport, one simply walk into the immigration office and for little or nothing you are issued with a Nigerian passport. That is family has come out and identified him cannot be overlooked as it clearly paints the actual picture. So it is not a story of giving a dog a bad name and hanging it.
That Nigerians are hardworking and decent people is again put to test by negative elements who just want to spoil the name Nigeria, but if truth be told this is what Nigeria and Nigerians suffer in the hands of their Muslim brothers, their self centered attitude to religion and life in in the country generally.
The hope is innocent Nigerians will not be made to suffer for this crime as all eyes will be focussed on the people and Nation.
