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Abdullah was arrested by police in Eastleigh and confessed to undergoing Al Shabaab training

Kenya

Kenya captures Al Shabaab recruit

Abdullah was arrested by police in Eastleigh and confessed to undergoing Al Shabaab training

NAIROBI, Kenya April 13 – Police said Friday they were interrogating a suspected terrorist who has confessed having traveled to Somalia to receive Al Shabaab training.

Abdullah Abdul Majid aka Abul was arrested on Thursday last week on suspicion of involvement in the grenade attacks at Nairobi’s country bus station which killed nine people and wounded dozens others last month.

The 18-year-old has since told police he is a resident of Majengo, Mombasa. He was picked up from Nairobi’s Eastleigh Section III by Anti-Terrorism Police Unit (ATPU) detectives.

He has told police he was born in Saudi Arabia, but he has not been able to produce his passport.

During a series of interrogations, Majid has confessed to police that he had traveled to Somalia for training with other Mujahideen after listening to preaching sessions from various Sheikhs—including Shamir and Aboud Rogo.
Police Spokesman Eric Kiraithe said the suspect has so far told police how he crossed into Somalia in January 2011 with one of his Mombasa-based friends he identified as Dhulkarner who is currently in Somalia.

“On arrival in Somalia at Dobley, he was met by Al Shabaab members who inducted him into Mujahideen. He stayed in Dobley for two weeks while arrangements were being made for his transfer to Baidoa,” the suspect told police.

Later, together with other foreigners, they were taken for training at Abadajira, a prison camp for former President Siad Barre, just outside Baidoa.

“At Abadajira, we were trained on how to use grenades, pistols and AK47 rifles. It was a three month course attended by 300 trainees,” the suspect adds in his statement to the police.

After graduation, the suspect told police they were divided into two groups; one remained in Mogadishu and another near the Kenya-Ethiopia border.

Majid was in the group that remained in Mogadishu.

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He claims he traveled back to Kenya to see his mother, police believe he is not genuine because even after returning back to Kenya he has never traveled to Majengo, Mombasa to greet his mother.

Police said they had been able to independently verify Majid’s statement and that he had indeed traveled to Somalia where he received terrorism training.

Police believe he was deployed to Kenya by the Al Shabaab command to act as a local spy. He is still being held by the Anti-Terrorism Police Unit (ATPU) who are still interrogating him.

“The investigation on his this man is still going on, appropriate action will be taken,” Kiraithe said.

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