One of the men arrested over the
murder of a soldier in Woolwich was also arrested in Kenya in 2010, anti-terror
police in Nairobi have confirmed. Michael Adebolajo appeared in court in Mombasa suspected of
leading a group of Islamists trying to join the al Shabaab group.
Anti-terrorism unit head Boniface Mwaniki said Adebolajo was
believed to have been preparing to train and fight with the al Qaeda-linked
Somali militant group. Adebolajo was arrested with five others, and later deported,
which is common in Kenya when involvement with terrorism is suspected.
Mr Mwaniki denied accusations that Adebolajo had been abused
while in custody in Kenya. The Foreign Office said in a statement: "We can confirm a
British national was arrested in Kenya in 2010." It provided consular
assistance, as is normal for British nationals.
Adebolajo, 28, and Michael Oluwatobi Adebowale, 22, are
suspected of murdering soldier Drummer Lee Rigby in Woolwich on Wednesday. Three further men, aged 21, 24 and 28, who were arrested on
Saturday, remain in custody, he added.
Counter-terrorism officers have also arrested a 22-year-old man
in Highbury Grove, north London, on suspicion of conspiracy to murder.
Deputy Assistant Commissioner Stuart Osborne, head of the Counter
Terrorism Command, said officers were working on the complicated investigation
"tirelessly and painstakingly".
"We are pursuing a significant amount of CCTV, social
media, forensic and intelligence opportunities and have active lines of
inquiry."
The two suspects arrested at the scene of the killing remain in
hospital and will be formally interviewed when it is possible to do so, Mr
Osborne said. Police shot them when they charged towards armed officers in
Woolwich on Wednesday.
Mr Osborne continued: "This remains an ongoing
investigation, focused upon public safety and identifying any others that may
be involved.
"The investigation is progressing well, but there is still
a lot more work to be done."
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