The mother of a suspected
Islamic terrorist who
allegedly hacked a British
soldier to death tried
desperately to turn him away
from extremism but "could
not get through", according
to friends.
Michael Adebowale, the 22-
year-old son of a Christian
probation officer and a
member of staff at the
Nigerian High Commission,
was filmed holding a
bloodied cleaver in his hand
after Drummer Lee Rigby
was butchered in a London
street. Friends said he had
been a "lovely boy" but
became involved in some
"serious trouble" as a
teenager and then turned to
Islam. He started mixing with
some "bad people" and
became increasingly extreme
in his views.
His mother Juliet Obasuyi, a
43-year-old probation officer,
went to her friend and
neighbour, a 62-year-old
security officer, for help
about nine months ago after
her son dropped out of
university.
She told him: "Michael is not
listening any more. His older
sister is a good Christian with
a degree but Michael is
rebelling as he has no father
figure, dropping out of
university and handing out
leaflets in Woolwich town
centre.
"He is from a strong
Christian family but he is
turning to Islam and turning
against the family. He is
preaching in the streets. He
needs spiritual guidance
before he radicalises
himself."
Another friend, Steve Adebiyi,
who started a company with
Mrs Obasuyi, said she was
often left in tears after
speaking to him on the
phone. "The boy was giving
the mother problems," he
said. "She said he was in with
some bad group and causing
a lot of trouble. They
brainwashed him."
He and Michael Adebolajo,
the other suspected terrorist,
are thought to have met at
Greenwich University.
His mother was advised by a
neighbour to take him to the
head of the Woolwich
mosque for spiritual
guidance. He was converted
to Islam by the head Imam,
and taken for weeks of
"further training" at a centre
near Cambridge.
When he returned, however,
he was even more
"radicalised" and his mother
could no longer "get through
to him". A spokesman for the
mosque said they did not
know if he attended or been
converted there.
She subsequently returned to
Nigeria, where she is
pursuing a career in politics.
Neighbours in Greenwich
said he had been a "lovely
boy" who was a keen
Manchester United fan, but
as a teenager became "angry
at a lot of things".
Magdalene Edwards told
Channel 4 News: "He was a
lovely boy. Very gentle
natured, very respectful to
elderly people.
"He was angry at a lot of
things like a lot of young
people are. About a year ago
is when I saw him with this
whole Muslim dress.
"I said to him are you a
Muslim. And he said yes, he's
gone that way now. I said
just be careful, I'm aware
that there are some that ride
on the coat tales of Islam
and they're really not serving
their cause."
Adebowale's father, Adeniyi,
was born in Nigeria but came
to Britain to study at
Canterbury University. He
and Mrs Obasuyi had a child,
Michael, but subsequently
split up.
His mother married twice but
is now understood to be
single. She also started a
small fashion business. She
raised Adebowale in
Woolwich and Greenwich
along with his half sister.
Adebowale attended
Kidbrooke School in
Greenwich, where friends
said he was a "normal,
smiling teenager". Luqman
Ciise, one of his schoolmates,
said: "I knew him personally,
he was normal, smiling all
the time. His name was
Toby… Still can't believe
this."
According to a friend he and
his girlfriend, a fellow
convert, became well-known
in south-east London for
handing out extremist
leaflets.
Adebowale's father now
works for the Nigerian High
Commission in a flat just
yards froim Holloway prison
in North London. His flat was
raided on Thursday morning.
A neighbour said: "He has
lived here for at least ten
years. He is a very smart and
polite man, who is known to
everyone as Niyi. On
Thursday morning I was
woken up by the sound of
banging and shouts of
'armed police'. I looked out
and police were running into
Niyi's flat.
"I then heard them shout 'No
firearms and No drugs'. I
have got no idea what
happened to Niyi, but I
haven't seen him since.
"It came as a big shock
because he is a professional
man who works at the
Nigerian High Commission.
He leaves everyday in a collar
and tie and does not get
home until about 8pm."
Source: The Telegraph
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