Man guilty of trying to form child terrorist ‘army’
LONDON: A man who used his role as an unqualified teacher to try and recruit an “army” of children to commit terror attacks was convicted in court on Friday.
Umar Ahmed Haque, 25, tried to radicalise scores of children to commit “a multi-faceted attack on businesses and communities in London”, according to a Metropolitan Police statement.
Haque, from east London, showed pupils at an after-school madrasa videos of “extreme terrorist violence” and made them “roleplay terrorists” stabbing police officers.
His two accomplices, Abuthaher Mamun, 29, and Muhammad Abid, 27, were also convicted at London’s Old Bailey court.
“Haque was a dangerous man who was inspired by attacks in Europe and Westminster. He wanted to orchestrate numerous attacks at once, using guns, knives, bombs and large cars to kill innocent people,” said Dean Haydon, head of the Met Police Counter Terrorism Command.
In a phone message heard in court, Haque told Abib that he was using his role as an administrator at after-school madrasa “Lantern of Knowledge” to radicalise 16 children.
Schools watchdog Ofsted is under pressure to explain how the school received an “outstanding” rating following an inspection conducted while Haque was working there.