Terrorist worked in Saudi Arabia after converting to Islam
ADRIAN AJAO spent two stints working in Saudi Arabia after converting to Islam, it has emerged.
In a statement the Saudi embassy in London confirmed that Ajao, who changed his name to Khalid Masood, had worked there as an English teacher between November 2005 and November 2006 and again between April 2008 and April 2009.
He also visited the country to take part in the annual pilgrimage to Mecca in March 2015, spending five days there.
In a statement a spokesman for the embassy said: “During his time in Saudi Arabia, Khalid Masood did not appear on the security services’ radar and does not have a criminal record in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.”
The statement also said that King Salman had spoken to Theresa May to express his condolences over Wednesday’s attack, adding: “At such a time, our ongoing security cooperation is most crucial to the defeat of terrorism and the saving of innocent lives.”
Meanwhile counter-terror police in Birmingham arrested a terror suspect , believed to be Saudi, in a dramatic raid.
Neighbours at a property in Navigation Way described seeing a man being led out of the property by counter-terror officers with “a smirk on his face”.
The property is close to the address in Birmingham where Ajao was thought to have been living recently.
Sheila Sahota, who lives next door, said: “The police came at about half six on Thursday morning. They knocked the door down and took him away straight away.
“I just saw him walk out the house, with a big smirk on his face and handcuffs. He was laughing, he didn’t care that he’d been arrested at all.”
Locals said the man had lived there for around a year. He is one of 11 people who have been arrested as part of the investigation.
Saudi Arabia has spawned a number of international terrorists including Osama bin Laden, and was the power base of al-Qaeda.