Friend of London terror suspect arrested after BBC interview

USPA News - A friend of Michael Adebolajo, one of two suspects in the brutal murder of a British soldier on a London street earlier this week, was arrested by counter-terrorism police on late Friday evening after giving an interview to the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC). Abu Nusaybah was interviewed by BBC journalist Richard Watson on Friday evening about his relationship with Adebolajo, who was seen talking to bystanders after he allegedly participated in the savage murder of British soldier Lee Rigby near the Royal Artillery Barracks in London.

Immediately after the interview, at around 9:30 p.m. local time on Friday, officers from the Metropolitan Police Service`s Counter Terrorism Command arrested Nusaybah on BBC premises in London. He was taken into custody under the Terrorism Act 2000 on suspicion of the commission, preparation or instigation of acts of terrorism, police said. It was not immediately clear why Nusaybah was arrested under the Terrorism Act 2000, and a BBC spokesperson said it had not been aware that he was wanted for questioning. "This interviewee had important background information that sheds light on this horrific event," the unnamed spokesperson said, referring to Wednesday`s murder that has been described as a terrorist attack by authorities. During the interview, Nusaybah said he became friends with Adebolajo in early 2002 when they were both living in the town of Romford near London. Nusaybah said he converted to Islam in late 2004 and that Adebolajo independently did the same about four months after him. Also during the interview, Nusaybah claimed Adebolajo had recently been picked up by Kenyan security forces and physically assaulted while in detention there. Officers from the British intelligence agency MI5 then repeatedly visited his house after his return to Britain, Nusaybah said. "He mentioned that initially they wanted to ask him if he knew certain individuals. That was the initial issue, but after him saying he didn`t know these individuals and so forth, they asked him whether he`d be interested in working for them," Nusaybah told the BBC, adding that he did not work for MI5 but told officers he did not know the individuals asked about. A Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) spokesperson said Nusaybah was taken to a south London police station after his arrest on late Friday evening and remained in custody on Saturday afternoon. "Search warrants are being executed at two residential addresses in east London," the spokesperson said, giving no other details.