A US Grand jury today indicted Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, on six counts including attempted use of weapons of mass Destruction.
Elombah.com sources in America has just reported that other charges include attempting to detonate a bomb, attempted murder by detonating a bomb and willfully attempting to destroy an aircraft within the special aircraft jurisdiction of USA.
Other charges are willfully placing a destructive device in or near an aircraft which was likely to endanger the safety of the aircraft and two counts of possession of a firearm, ie the bomb, in furtherance of violent crime.
The former London student was charged with attempting to blow up a transatlantic airliner carrying 278 passengers on Christmas Day.
Interestingly, Abdulmutallab was not charged with attempted suicide which is a taboo in the south east nigeria in addition to being a crime. Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab was charged in connection with attempting to bomb a US Airliner-Northwest Airlines flight 253.
American prosecutors claim that Abdulmutallab, who finished an engineering course at University College London last year, had a device attached to his body – between his groin and thigh, when he boarded the plane in Amsterdam on Christmas Eve. He passed through the airport in transit after flying from Lagos.
Abdulmutallab, the son of a wealthy Nigerian banker, is alleged to have set off the device as the flight approached Detroit airport. The device caused a fire that burned Abdulmutallab’s legs.
A preliminary FBI investigation found that the device contained an explosive known as PETN, or pentaerythritol. Agents recovered what appeared to be the remnants of a syringe found near Abdulmutallab’s seat, which is thought to have been part of the device.
“Had this alleged plot to destroy an airplane been successful, scores of innocent people would have been killed or injured,” said the US attorney general, Eric Holder. “We will continue to investigate this matter vigorously, and we will use all measures available to our government to ensure that anyone responsible for this attempted attack is brought to justice.”
According to an affidavit, interviews with the passengers and crew of Northwest Airlines flight 253 revealed that before the incident Abdulmutallab went to the aircraft’s bathroom for approximately 20 minutes. When he returned to his seat, he said he had an upset stomach and pulled a blanket over himself.
Passengers then heard what were described as popping noises similar to the sound of firecrackers. Some reported seeing Abdulmutallab’s trouser leg and the inner wall of the aircraft on fire. He was overpowered by passengers and crew who used blankets and fire extinguishers to put out the flames.
New security measures announced Sunday night by the Transportation Security Administration take aim at those travelling to the United States from abroad — and specifically passengers who’ve passed through a country that may be less than friendly to the United States. Immediately after the Christmas Day bomb attempt, the government ordered patdowns and extra luggage checks for all travellers on international flights to the United States.
Such extra scrutiny will now be virtually mandatory for passengers coming into the United States who hold passports from or who have travelled through countries that sponsor terrorism, or other so-called “countries of interest.”
According to a senior administration official, those countries are Afghanistan, Algeria, Iraq, Lebanon, Libya, Nigeria, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Somalia or Yemen, or one of the following countries designated as a state sponsor of terrorism: Cuba, Iran, Sudan and Syria.
The Nigerian Minister of Information and Communications, Professor Dora Akunyili, fielding questions from newsmen in her office in Abuja, described as “unfair” the US decision to include Nigeria in the list, insisting that Nigerians do not have terrorists’ tendencies.
“It is unfair to include Nigeria on the US list for tighter screening,” said the minister, “because Nigerians do not have terrorists’ tendency. Abdulmutalab’s act was a one off-thing.”
She noted that, Farouk Umar AbdulMutallab was not influenced in Nigeria. “He was not recruited or trained in Nigeria. He was not supported whatsoever in Nigeria. His behaviour is not a reflective of Nigerians and should, therefore, not be used as a yardstick to judge all Nigerians,” she said.
According to the minister, it is unfair to use the action of one Nigerian to judge over 150 million Nigerians. “A typical Nigerian does not want to die. We are peace-loving and happy people. We were even voted as the happiest people on earth,’‘ she said.
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