East London man jailed for terror plot
27 year old has been sentenced to life
Last updated 13th Apr 2021
A man from East London's been jailed for at least 19 years for plotting a terror attack in Britain during last summer's coronavirus lockdown.
The Old Bailey heard Sahayb Abu, who's 27 and from Dagenham, bought a sword, body armour and balaclavas in preparation.
He was arrested in July after discussing guns with an undercover officer on the Telegram messaging app.
His brother 32 year-old Muhamed Abu from south London was cleared of failing to disclose details about the plot.
Commander Richard Smith, head of the Met's Counter Terrorism Command, said:
“Over several months, Abu sought to obtain weapons and the equipment needed to commit a terrorist attack. He is an extremely dangerous individual but thanks to the efforts of counter-terrorism officers and MI5, he will now spend a considerable time behind bars where he poses no risk to public safety.
“This is a prime example of how our officers and the security services are working together to keep people safe. Every day, counter-terrorism teams are identifying and targeting individuals and groups with terrorist intent.”
The police investigation started in March 2020 after concerns were raised about Abu’s extremist mindset.
Over several weeks in May and June 2020, Abu made enquiries about and purchased a number of items that gave investigators cause for further concern – a lock knife, a ballistic vest, two balaclavas, fingerless gloves, a camo-print fisherman’s hat with face and neck cover, and finally a large sword which he asked to be sharpened.
During the course of the investigation, an undercover officer met and befriended Abu online and they met in person on two occasions. During their conversations, Abu spoke about obtaining firearms.
Abu was arrested on 9 July during an armed policing operation.
His electronic devices were seized and officers found dozens of messages, including video and voice messages, where Abu recited lyrics which reflected his extremist views.
On the day of his arrest, he posted a message in a chat group saying "we need a 9/11 2.0" – referring to the terrorist attack that targeted the United States on 11 September 2001.
When interviewed by police, Abu said the items he had purchased were for display purposes and for use in parody 'drill' music videos.
Commander Smith added:
“This investigation took place during the Covid-19 pandemic. Our focus on keeping the public safe from terrorism has not wavered during that time.
“The recent easing of coronavirus restrictions means that people will start going out more in public – to see family and friends, to shop and to visit places.
“The threat from terrorism has not gone away and we would urge people to remain vigilant and act if they see anything suspicious by reporting it to the police. You won’t be wasting police time. The public has a key role to play in helping the police tackle terrorism and save lives.”
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