An
alleged friend of London soldier murder suspect Michael Adebolajo was arrested
at the BBC after telling the broadcaster that British security services had
tried to recruit his friend.
Abu
Nusaybah told BBC television on Friday that Adebolajo was asked by the MI5
domestic intelligence agency if he wanted to work for them.
He
said Adebolajo had snubbed their approach.
The
BBC said Abu Nusaybah was promptly arrested on their premises after giving the
interview.
Scotland
Yard police headquarters said Saturday that counter-terror officers had
arrested a 31-year-old man in London on suspicion of the “commission, preparation
or instigation of acts of terrorism”.
It
is understood the arrest was not directly linked to the brutal murder of
soldier Lee Rigby, who was hacked to death in the street Wednesday outside the
Royal Artillery Barracks in Woolwich, southeast London.
Adebolajo,
28, and Michael Adebowale, 22, who remain under armed guard in hospital after
being shot by police at the scene, were known to the intelligence services but
were reportedly assessed as not posing a deadly threat.
Abu
Nusaybah said he first met Adebolajo in early 2002 and was struck by things his
friend said to him roughly six months ago.
The
murder suspect claimed he had been picked up by Kenyan forces and physically
assaulted in detention there.
Abu
Nusaybah said after Adebolajo returned from Kenya, MI5 agents repeatedly called
at his home.
Adebolajo
was “basically being harassed by MI5, this is something that he specifically
mentioned to me.
“His
wording was: ‘They are bugging me — they won’t leave me alone.’
“He
mentioned initially they wanted to ask him whether he knew certain individuals.
“But
after him saying that he didn’t know these individuals and so forth, what he
said is they asked him whether he would be interested in working for them.
“He
was explicit in that he refused to work for them but he did confirm that he
didn’t know the individuals.”
The
BBC said it could not obtain any confirmation from government ministry sources
as to whether Adebolajo had been approached by MI5.
Scotland
Yard said officers from Counter-Terrorism Command arrested a 31-year-old man at
around 9:30pm (2030 GMT) Friday.
He
was detained “on suspicion of the commission, preparation or instigation of
acts of terrorism under the Terrorism Act 2000″, the statement said.
“The
man has been taken to a south London police station, where he remains in
custody.
“Search
warrants are being executed at two residential addresses in east London.”
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