EXCLUSIVE: How Justice Uwais’ son – who claims to hate Boko Haram – joined ISIS jihadists
Ibrahim Uwais gave his parents and everyone around him the impression that he hates Boko Haram because of the “damage” they are doing to Islam — but he has now gone to Syria apparently to join the Islamic State militants.
His distraught father, Mohammed Uwais (pictured) — who served as the chief justice of Nigeria from 1995 to 2006 — was still trying to come to terms with the news when he suffered a suspected armed robbery attack last weekend, although he was not hurt.
Ibrahim, described as a 41-year-old “reserved and committed Muslim”, has two wives and four children, TheCable learnt.
His elder wife was the head of a private school in Abuja while the younger worked with the Debt Management Office (DMO).
When he took the decision to go to Syria to team up with the “jihadists” of the Islamic State, he reportedly called his wives aside and told them they were free to return to their parents.
“But both of them said they would go with him,” a source in the know of the development told TheCable, adding that they took all their children with them.
When the retired justice was alerted on the disappearance of his son and his family, he became apprehensive and started to make investigations.
He went to report to the security agencies — who told him they would investigate the claim that his son might have gone to Syria.
TheCable could not confirm the airline or route Ibrahim flew out of Nigeria or the date he left, but sources said he travelled through Turkey, which shares border with the war-torn Syria.
Parts of Syria and Iraq are under the control of the Islamic State which carries out summary executions, including beheadings and death by stoning, of those accused of flouting its sharia law.
The Turkish embassy in Abuja was compelled to disclose the details of Ibrahim’s movement through a court injunction, TheCable learnt.
The embassy confirmed that it issued visas to Ibrahim and members of his family.
The details of his arrival in Turkey were made available, while images of CCTV recordings were also said to have been analysed by the Turkish security agencies to establish their movement.
Hated Boko Haram
Ibrahim, who dropped out of the university and went into full-time business in his early 20s, is the unlikeliest man to volunteer for the Islamic State, according to family friends who spoke with TheCable.
“He hated everything Boko Haram stood for, and often queried why they would be killing innocent women and children in the name of Islam,” a source said.
“With the benefit of hindsight, he was probably trying to cover up his plans. There was no way you would have suspected that he was ever going to be a fundamentalist himself.”
He was a student of King’s College, Lagos, and went on to the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, “where he was radicalised”, according to a former student of Queen’s College, Lagos, who told TheCable that Ibrahim “was very popular with QC girls in those days”.
A family source confirmed that Ibrahim left Nigeria with his family early February “without a word”, keeping his extended family in the dark.
“The fact that he didn’t say goodbye to both parents, and the deafening silence from his end since then, seems to lend credence to this storyline (that he has joined ISIS),” he said, adding that “we are just praying for news of them, news of any sorts”.
Memories of AbdulFarouk
Ibrahim’s case has refreshed memories of AbdulFarouk AbdulMutallab, the fresh-faced engineering graduate of the University College, London, who attempted to bomb an American airliner in the US on December 25, 2009 having been radicalised by Al-Qaeda.
AbdulFarouk AbdulMutallab
AbdulFarouk is the son of a very prominent Nigeria businessman and former minister, Umaru Mutallab. His mother is a Yemeni named Aisha.
He was believed to have been radicalised on a visit to Yemen in 2009, when he was thought to have come in contact with Anwar al-Awlaki, a suspected recruiter for the Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula who was later killed in a US drone strike in 2011.
Mutallab reported his son to the US embassy in Nigeria when he refused to return from Yemen after withdrawing from the San’a Institute for the Arabic Language.
Likewise, Uwais reported his son to the Nigerian authorities on discovering the suspected mission of his son.
A growing trend?
Nigerian authorities are beginning to fret over what they now suspect to be a trend of radicalisation of northern youths by their exposure to fundamentalist ideology.
“We now have reasonable ground to suggest we have a big battle in our hands,” an intelligence officer told TheCable.
“One of the toughest nuts for us to crack is how Boko Haram has been able to recruit thousands of fighters. Given the number of Boko Haram fighters that have been killed by the military in north-east operations, the group should have been completely incapacitated by now, but they keep getting fresh recruits.”
While this category of recruits is believed to be ordinary people, the involvement of the children of the northern elite “is definitely new and a source of worry”, the officer said.
According to him, “It is not so much about the recruitment of fighters… but the source of funding for the terrorists. If the elite or children of the elite are sympathetic to them, it will be easy to get funding across to them because it would be very difficult to trace.”
A troubled man
Although there is strong evidence suggesting that Ibrahim is in Syria, the family has not given up hope of getting him to abandon his mission and return home.
“We have no idea how he got himself involved in this,” a friend of the family told TheCable.
Meanwhile, Uwais himself was still battling to make sense of the “sad development” when he had a traumatic experience in the hands of suspected armed robbers at his Abuja home.
“Armed robbers put a gun to the head of this 79-year-old gentleman. Not satisfied with what they could get out of him, they proceeded to lock him up in a dusty, mosquito-ridden room,” a source said.
One of his wives reportedly discovered where he was locked up six hours after the robbers left.
Uwais has refused to comment on his son’s disappearance since the story was first reported by a newsite, TheWill, on Tuesday.
Sad. Get the country fixed. Armed robbers are usually disenfranchised youths but attacking a former CJN means a lot. I pray his son will see his folly and come back home
@shai – pls be informed that not all armed robbers are youths or disenfranchised youths. A visit to the prisons or police station cells will confirm to you that most reminded armed robbers are not less the age of 45yrs. Some are the children of prominent persons amongst us who are never defranchised. Recall that even when we know this country was well balanced with 0 unemployment, their also existed armed robbers. We know the likes of Aninih and osunbo, to mention only but these ones. As the bible made it clear that evil will never be eradicated in our midst.Even Jesus Christ was crucified with 2 armed robbers. What is befallen these parents may be directly related to how they conducted themselves in the position entrusted to them while in active service. Read Bible book of Micah 3: 11Sometimes God reciprocates unfaithfulness a measurable punishment when you have no strength to bear it.
So this is a lesson to everyone.
Well, this is it, and I am affraid to inform us that this has confirmed and reaffirmed my concerns that Nigeria has finally got his own version of ISIS inaugurated. And the true meaning is that, the whole of West African Coast Countries should brace themselves for a major terrorism/insurgency storms.
Solution, it’s time to get up and act (Proactively)and not (Reactively) like we have handled Boko-Haram’s emergence.
I agree with you 100%. It is time we are Proactive and not Reactive. Let the battle begin now.
I agree with you totally, What baffles me is how this radical group succeed’s in recruiting this calibre of people from a wealthy home,and that is why people like me have argued that boko haram activities in Nigeria is not as result of poverty or unemployement but based on ideology
This is a major source of embarrasment to the Uwais family, but beyond that, a source of concern for nigerians.
HOW CAN A CHILD HATE SOMEBODY HIS PARENTS KNOWS IF THE PARENTS HAS DONE SO IN HIS PRESENT? SO DO WE NOW NEED A SOUTH NIGERIA?
@Boble, your comment is incoherent. can u clarify your position?
He already has 2 women at 41?
He already has 2 wives @ 41, they are entitled to 5 or 6. Your former Central Bank Governor, now Emir of Kano had 4 wives at 40
I’m jealous! ..Lol. I thought that idea of marrying more one wife at a time has changed in our society.
Per the radicalism, that’s one of most reasons we need a decisive Commander -in chief that wipe out those with barbaric ideologies.
What of if the “decisive Commander -In-Chief ” is someone with this barbaric ideology?
Then, that would spell doom for us all!
Becoming Proactive is the key! Let the Federal government step up its intelligence gathering. May God help us
This is a wake up call for wealthy parents to pay more attention to build their children as they build their business
Reserve and committed Moslems are the most dangerous Moslems in the world.
If I can turn back d hand of the time may be….. May be ……… I can stop this neptunium insanity.
It’s quite unfortunate that our former CJN is undergoing this kind of trauma at an old age of 79. Ibrahim lacks the courage to exploit and expand the good legacy the father had built all these years. Rather he resorts to channelling his energy on terrorism. At age of 41, he is not suffering from juvenile nor youthful exuberance as to expose his entire family to great risk. Considering Ibrahim consolidating on the labors of his father, then Rtd Justice M. Uwais would be expecting future CJN from any of his grand children born by Ibrahim. Ibrahim should copy from the BUSH family of USA. Perhaps Ibrahim feels that Boko Haram is melting down and not yielding the expected result and the only way to resuscitate it is to join the Islamic Militant group- ISIS. If that is the case our problem is just beginning. The Federal govt. of Nigeria should look into teaching contents of various religious inclination of our people. Nigerians are the world largest christianized and Islamized people yet this has not reflected in our attitudes and behavior. Corruption is the bane of our culture and lack of strong will to enforce our noble laws. We channel too much energy to religion than industrializing our nation like other civilized nations. Interestingly Forbes recent record/statistics on world richest people witnessed increased number of young people below the age of 40 making the list. Privileged youths from elite class/family should see themselves as role models, innovative and creative potentials rather than constituting themselves to extremists/militants endangering the peaceful coexistence of mankind. It is a woeful waste of resources and the like of Ibrahim should have a rethink.
Which good legacy?
Check Uwais closely and you might find a bigot that Northern Nigeria has been supplying Nigerian public service.
If you teach your child to be a thief, he’ll grow up to be an armed robber!
That’s just the truth, may be the father has been playing games together with the Boko Haram terrorist during his tenure which he might have noticed, and not that he hated the Boko Haram, but he wanted to create a scene and popularity which he felt he wouldn’t earn by joining the Boko Haram, instead he prefers the one he would join and bring about there reign and activities here in Nigeria. I pray God will never allow him succeed with those plans.
Bob Roberts, I quote you: “The Federal govt. of Nigeria should look into teaching contents of various religious inclination of our people.” More still, Departments of Comparative Religion should be established in all State and all Universities, so that those teaching religious heresies will be made known.
This is worrisome, a son of an ex,-chief justice dropped out of the university and now gone to join ISIS! God have mercy on Nigeria.
CHILDREN GIVE BACK WHAT THEY ‘VE ENCODED FROM PARENTS, JUST AS THE CALF WATCHES ITS MOTHER CHOW THE CORD OR ROMINATE. EVERY MAN WILL REAP WHAT HE SOW
@Calculus, Buhari is such a “decisive Commander-in-Chief”, so CAVEAT EMPTOR.BUYER BEWARE!! We don’t want the final national disgrace of the son of our President joining ISIS. It will happen!!! These people are all the same. They drank from the mother milk of an inferiority complex, aversion to competition and and now a tendency to destroy it all, since they cannot compete in the modern world.
I really think that all the different Islamic insurgencies are working towards the same goal.Al-Qeda has given birth to so many other jihadist groups all over the world including the present day “boko haram in Nigeria”and other African countries.Their main targets is usually the christian churches and christians.Everybody knew how boko haram started launching their bomb attacks at the christian churches all over Nigeria killing many congregational members each time,before diversifying their attacks lately.Recently over 20 coptic christians were beheaded by the ISIS in Egypt.The boko haram itself is supported by the ISIS Nigeria must be permanently prepared to tackle these fundamentals which for the purposes of confusing people go by different names,even though they are all the same and supports one another
Even the father of the airliner shoe bomber was rewarded with another top job as CEO of an Islamic bank in Nigeria…. Jaiz bank. So tell me why the terrorists would lack sufficient fund. We are in for a bigger trouble ….
Terrorism has roots in Islam not poverty
Anyway, your contributions are worthwhile! It’s crystal clear that whatever you sow you shall reap. Remember, Prophet (saw) said “he is not a Muslim, he whose neighbour are not save from him”. Do not generalise. Muslims are not terrorists. The neighbour mentioned is not restricted to Muslims only, it includes everyone irrespective of your religion. What baffles me most is that Nigerians (Muslims, Christians,Pagans etc) claim to be religious but our case is just like a stress into the ocean for a donkey of years, brought out, the body is wet but cracked, the inside is very dry! Religion has never enter into our hearts. Nigeria is full of too many religious hypocrite! If half of energy channeled to religion is diverted to making our economy grow, Nigeria would have become small London. If the current administration is innocent of the Boko Haram activities, why refused to tame them when they were very young? Or Nigeria bordets are that porous that arms and ammunition can just fly in without being noticed? Private army are now being constituted and we are flagrantly refusing to blame the arrow head who is rotten. May almighty God safe Nigeria and expose those behind all these mess. Tell me what our president did to the allegations of Ali Modu Sherif being the Boko Haram sponsor? Was not part of the presidential entourage to Chad? Now, Chadian president is claiming to know where about of Shekau. Do you know that there is oil field at Lake Chad? French conspiracy, they are doing diagonal drilling with Chadian government. To protect their heinous act,there must be no peace in that area so that Nigeria will not be able to develop the field! Do you know that Ali M. Sherif has Refinery at Chad? Don’t forget that this boko haram menace deepens when in 2011 FG budgeted #800+billion for security vote since there is need to justify such amount, the product is boko haram rampage. Let’s think and jettison religion and ethnic chauvinism for our nation to be great devoid of insecurity and poverty. God bless Nigeria.
may god save us 4rm all this bad pple
Don’t vote for Buhari. His son may also join the Islamic State.
Elder wife, head of a private school in Abuja OMG!!! And my little tot could just be in one of the private schools? Second wife, plum job at DMO!!! Now am screamingly confused. One, I need confirmation on this bits of information. Two, if substantiated, there is the need to reappraise the society in its entirety. Meanwhile, could anybody fathom how a 41 year old dropout…he went into business dhorrr!..is able to sustain himself and 2 wives? Give me a break, guys. My take…Poppsy probably got him his wives, propped him up with juicy contracts…In Naija, the name of a CJN is a door crasher. When you are rich and idle and you got 2 damsels servicing you at alternate nights, you are bound to reason act
like a bum, or worse still, like an extremist.
May God save us. I don’t blame them , that is what they read in the Quran 8:39
SOMEONE, please mention one good thing that the North has contributed towards the image of Nigeria, anywhere. ONE THING.
I do not know about you, but I am sick of being in the same national boundaries with people who have NOTHING in common with me.