Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula claimed responsibility for the attempted Christmas Day terrorist attack on a plane about to land in the U.S., saying it was in retaliation for alleged U.S. strikes on Yemeni soil.

In the statement, published on radical Islamist Web sites, the group hailed the "brother" who carried out the "heroic attack." The group said it tested a "new kind of explosives" in the attack, and hailed the fact that the explosives "passed through security."

The group threatened further attacks, saying, "since Americans support their leaders they should expect more from us."

"We have prepared men who love to die," the statement dated Saturday said.

A suspect, Umar Farouk AbdulMutallab, is being held for allegedly trying to blow up the flight carrying 300 passengers.

Part of the explosive device was sewn into AbdulMutallab's underwear, a law enforcement official told CNN Monday.

A preliminary FBI analysis found that the device AbdulMutallab allegedly carried aboard the flight from Amsterdam, Netherlands, to Detroit, Michigan, contained the explosive pentaerythritol tetranitrate, known as PETN. The source could provide no details on the device.

The amount of explosive involved was sufficient to blow a hole in the aircraft, a source with knowledge of the investigation told CNN Sunday.

Authorities have focused their investigation on how AbdulMutallab, 23, allegedly smuggled the explosives aboard the flight and who might have helped him.

"We're ascertaining why it was that he was not flagged in a more specific way when he purchased his ticket, given the information that we think was available, allegedly was available," Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano told CNN's "American Morning" Monday.

AbdulMutallab, a Nigerian who had a multiple-entry visa to the United States, had been added to a watch list of 550,000 potential terrorist threats after the information provided by his father was forwarded to the National Counter-Terrorism Center, a senior administration official said. But "the info on him was not deemed specific enough to pull his visa or put him on a no-fly list," the official said.

"Now, we are going to be looking at that process and how those lists are created, maintained, updated, exchanged and the like, because clearly this individual should not have been able to board this plane carrying that material," Napolitano said.

Napolitano told CNN on Sunday there was no indication that the failed attack was part of any larger international terrorist plot.

Tighter security measures in the wake of the incident triggered long lines at security checkpoints at airports in the United States and abroad. President Obama has ordered a review of security procedures. Both the House and Senate plan to hold hearings on the incident.

Do you feel safe in the skies?

AbdulMutallab's family said Monday it had told authorities about his "out of character" behavior and hoped that authorities would intervene.

The 23-year-old suspect was studying abroad when he "disappeared" and stopped communicating with his family members, they said Monday in a statement. His father, Umaru AbdulMutallab, contacted Nigerian security agencies two months ago and foreign security agencies six weeks ago, the statement said.

"We were hopeful that they would find and return him home," the family said. "It was while we were waiting for the outcome of their investigation that we arose to the shocking news of that day."

The suspect's family said his behavior prompted it to seek help.

"The disappearance and cessation of communication which got his mother and father concerned to report to the security agencies are completely out of character and a very recent development, as before then, from very early childhood, Farouk, to the best of parental monitoring, had never shown any attitude, conduct or association that would give concern," his family said.

The father of the suspect contacted the U.S. Embassy in Nigeria with concerns his son had "become radicalized" and was planning something, a senior U.S. administration official said.

"After his father contacted the embassy recently, we coded his visa file so that, had he attempted to renew his visa months from now, it would have triggered an in-depth review of his application," a U.S. official said.

The embassy -- which has law enforcement, security and intelligence representatives on staff -- reported the father's concern to other agencies, the official said.

Passengers on the Christmas Day flight described a chaotic scene that began with a popping sound as the plane was making its final approach, followed by flames erupting at AbdulMutallab's seat.

The suspect was moved Sunday from a hospital where he was treated for his burns to an undisclosed location in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.

He is charged with attempting to destroy the plane and placing a destructive device on the aircraft.

AbdulMutallab's trip originated in Lagos, Nigeria. There, he did not check in a bag as he flew on a KLM flight to Amsterdam, said Harold Demuren, director-general of Nigeria's Civil Aviation Authority.

Demuren said the suspect underwent regular screening -- walking through a metal detector and having his shoulder bag scanned through an X-ray machine.

He then underwent "secondary screening" at the boarding gate for the KLM flight, according to officials of the Dutch airline.

In Amsterdam, AbdulMutallab boarded the Northwest Airlines flight to the United States.

The Netherlands' national coordinator for counterterrorism told CNN that AbdulMutallab had gone through "normal security procedures" in Amsterdam before boarding the flight to Detroit.

Over the weekend in Britain, where the suspect studied engineering at a London university, police searched AbdulMutallab's last known address.

Scotland Yard detectives on Sunday interviewed Michael Rimmer, a former high-school teacher who described AbdulMutallab as a "very devout" Muslim who had once expressed sympathy for Afghanistan's Taliban insurgency during a classroom discussion.

But Rimmer, who taught AbdulMutallab at a school in the west African nation of Togo, said it was not clear whether the then-teenager was simply playing devil's advocate during the class.

A federal security bulletin obtained by CNN said AbdulMutallab claimed the explosive device used Friday "was acquired in Yemen along with instructions as to when it should be used."

Yemeni authorities said they will take immediate action once the attempted bombing suspect's alleged link to the country is officially identified.

A man, Stephen Aniogu, 46, has been arrested by the police in Lagos for allegedly battering a grandmother, Taiye Ayeni, 52 for abandoning him for another man.

Stephen was alleged to have beaten Taiye mercilessly after she dumped him and sent him out of her house for her new hearthrob simply known as Alhaji Banji.

The accused who is now facing trial at Ejigbo Magistrate’s Court for assault was alleged to have attacked the victim at her residence, 18, Mofoluwasho Street, General Bus Stop, Igando, Lagos.

Narrating the incident to P.M.NEWS, Stephen said he started dating Taiye since 2005 and he packed into her apartment where they were living as husband and wife.

He agreed that he did not marry her but he felt he was used and dumped.

“How can she dump me now after suffering for her. Why should she dump me overnight for Alhaji Banji,” he lamented.

In her response, the mother of eight children admitted that she was dating him and later got tired of him. She disclosed that since the man met her, he stopped working and depended on her for feeding and other things.

The hairdresser said she told him to find accommodation, as four of her eight children have packed into her house, adding that it will not be proper to be sleeping with him before her children.

“He felt offended. I then decided to send him away. While going out, he took my GSM phone and I asked him to return it. He called me to come outside and collect it, not knowing that it was a ploy to beat me,” she added.

She said she was beaten to a state of unconsciousness and only revived at the hospital.

The accused was later arrested and charged to court for assault.

He pleaded not guilty to the charge and was granted bail in the sum of N100,000 with one surety. The matter has been adjourned till 8 January, 2010.

   
Tragedy struck at 8, Allison Close, Off Aduragbemi Street, Agric., Ikorodu, when  a set of twins identified as Saheed Jimoh and Sadiatu Jimoh, aged 2 1/2 years were burnt to death in a fire incident which started from their room. The fire razed down the building.

P.M.NEWS gathered that the father of the victims, Alfa Sadiq Jimoh, a barber, woke up around 5.30 a.m. to go to the mosque to observe the morning prayer and lit a candle in their room.

He reportedly locked the room, hoping to get back quickly, but that was not to be, as the candle fell on the rug, starting a fire which burnt the sleeping kids to death. The fire later spread to adjoining rooms, razing down the 10-room bungalow.

Neighbours and residents who gathered at the scene of the incident blamed the mother of the twins for the incident and rained curses on her and her mother.  The reason for this, according to a neighbour who spoke on condition of anonymity, is that the mother of the twins, was with her mother on the same street after she packed out of her husband’s house due to pressures from her mum. She was accused of abandoning her kids for the Islamic cleric to look after.

It was also gathered that before going to the mosque on the fateful day, Alfa Jimoh went to her and told her to stay with the kids but she turned deaf ears to his plea.

Efforts to get her comment on the incident proved abortive, as she was said to have absconded.

It took the efforts of men of the Lagos State Fire Service, Ikorodu to put out the fire, while policemen from the Owutu police division provided security.

An Ikorodu-based prophet, Afolabi Awoteju, on Christmas day inflicted serious injuries on his cousin, Ezekiel Shopitan, with an electric pressing iron, over missing N200.

While other families were busy celebrating the yuletide, 40-year-old Prophet Awoteju was busy torturing the body of the 13-year-old JSS II student of Ewu-Elepe Community High School, Ikorodu, with a red hot pressing iron.

Narrating his ordeal to P.M.NEWS, Ezekiel said he helped his uncle to sell a N200 recharge card, but unfortunately, he misplaced the money. When the wife reported him to his uncle, he was very furious and pounced on him.

“Turning deaf ears to my screaming and pleas for mercy, he first used an electric cable to whip me, then he plugged an electric iron and started stamping it on my chest, back and buttocks. He was forced to stop torturing me by some landlords and other people in the neighbourhood,” the poor boy revealed amidst tears.

Ezekiel, who disclosed that his parents reside in Ogijo, Ogun State, about 10 kilometres from Ikorodu, said he does not know how to locate them, as he started staying with his uncle at a very tender age.

In his reaction, Awoteju, who was formerly an Alhaji, told P.M.News that he never knew what got over him to carrying out such a barbaric act. He put the blame at the doorstep of the devil.

He said it was when he saw the boy the following day that he realised the evil he had committed.

The prophet, who is in charge of the Celestial Church of Christ (CCC), Itunu Parish, said: “though the boy is troublesome, I never meant to use the hot pressing iron on him, it was like my body had been taken over by the devil. His father is my brother and he has been staying with me for a very long time. I can only say I’m sorry for this wicked act.” The case has since been reported at the Sagamu Road Police Division, Ikorodu, where the prophet is being detained over the dastardly act.

Mr. Ukadike Anamazobi, the Divisional Police Officer, DPO, of the station condemned the act.  He described it as sheer wickedness, adding it was the prophet’s landlord that came to report the incident at the police.

He said that the police are making efforts to locate the boy’s parents.

Ezekiel is receiving treatment at the Ikorodu General Hospital, while the police are concluding plans to arraign the suspect in the court.

Our family, like the rest of the world, were woken up in the early hours of Saturday, 26th December, 2009 to the news of an attempt to blow up a plane by a young Nigerian man, who was later identified as Umar Farouk AbdulMutallab. Umar Farouk AbdulMutallab is the son of Alhaji (Dr.) Umaru AbdulMutallab, the head of this Family.
 
Prior to this incident, his father, having become concerned about his disappearance and stoppage of communication while schooling abroad, reported the matter to the Nigerian security agencies about two months ago, and to some foreign security agencies about a month and a half ago, then sought their assistance to find and return him home.
 
We provided them with all the information required of us to enable them do this. We were hopeful that they would find and return him home. It was while we were waiting for the outcome of their investigation that we arose to the shocking news of that day.
 
The disappearance and cessation of communication which got his mother and father concerned to report to the security agencies are completely out of character and a very recent development, as before then, from very early childhood, Farouk, to the best of parental monitoring, had never shown any attitude, conduct or association that would give concern. As soon as concern arose, very recently, his parents, reported it and sought help.
 
The family will continue to fully cooperate with local and international security agencies towards the investigation of this matter, while we await results of the full investigation.
 
We, along with the whole world, are thankful to Al-Mighty God that there were no lives lost in the incident. May God continue to protect us all, amen.
 
Finally, as the matter is being investigated by the various agencies, and has already been mentioned in a US court, the family requests that the press should regard this as the only statement it will make for now.
 
Thank you.
Signed
 
The Mutallab Family
Abuja,
Nigeria

Chelsea manager, Carlo Ancelotti, has stated that though the club may not sign new players during the January transfer window, he has enough materials to stand in for Nigerian playmaker, John Mikel Obi, and other African players joining their countries for the Nations Cup billed for Angola early next year.

Ancelotti maintained that his squad can cope, even with Ghana midfielder, Michael Essien and Mikel departing for the biennial tournament, stressing that he will not ask Chelsea owner for new players in the January transfer window.

“I didn’t ask owner Roman for new players and he has not asked me if I want them. I have a lot of confidence in my strikers and other players. Not only Drogba, not only Kalou, not only injured Anelka or the departing midfielders. Also Sturridge and Borini. I think that we have good solutions internally. We don’t need new players in this moment,” Ancelotti said.

Commenting on the game against Fulham, Ancelotti noted: “Anelka is a small muscle problem but he is not ready to play these games, against Fulham also. If Didier Drogba is not here we can put other players in, Sturridge has a good opportunity to show his quality. He played against West Ham very well in the second half and against Birmingham can play from the beginning.

“We have some problems because we have to play without Anelka, Essien and Deco in these games but we have a possibility if we do 100 per cent, to win. It’s very important. We are in a very good position, we are four points top, it’s not our best moment because we didn’t play well the last games but for this we have to stay concentrated and focused to try to win.

“We play against very strong teams, Birmingham arrived from five consecutive victories and one draw. They are difficult to play, they are very strong and work hard for 90 minutes with a lot of pressure. It is a difficult game for us.”

Eating a right diet may not worry you if you are told that inappropriate eating can put you at risk of heart problems and even poor mood. But, but as an African man, it should be your concern that a wrong choice of food may make you unable to father a child.

Scientists trying to understand why in folk medicine in South West Nigeria, men are advised against the consumption of okra( lady’s finger), found that its extract under laboratory conditions actually causes a reduction in semen quality and quantity, reduction in serum male hormonal level as well as atrophy of the testes.

Okra is a shrub that grows to about two metres with yellow flower and succulent seed pod emanating from the flower. Both the leaves and the seed pod are major ingredients in several local dishes across West African countries. The seed pod is used to thicken soup, stews and sauces. The roasted seed can serve as coffee substitute. Because of its high fibre content, the stem is used in making paper. As a green vegetable, it is a good source of Iron, Vitamin C, Calcium and dietary fibre.

Usually, in the diagnosis and treatment of infertility among couples the male factor is now been taken seriously. This is because several reports have put the male factor in infertility among married couples at different degrees ranging from 36.8 per cent to 70 per cent.

The researchers in understanding why in folk medicine, men are warned against the antifertility of okra, studied its effect in adult male Sprague Dawley rats. They were housed in standard plastic cages in a clean animal room. Clean water and feed were provided throughout the experimental period. The animals were grouped into three, with one serving as a control group.

At the end of the experimental period, each group of animals was anesthetized before they were made to undergo semen analysis. Semen analysis was carried out using their testes and the epididymids. Blood samples were collected from the animals into sterile bottles for hormonal assay.

This was published in the Journal of Phytology by Dr. Ibiyemi Olatunji-Bello from the Department of Physiology, College of Medicine, Lagos State University in collaboration with Temitope Ijiwole and Funmileyi Awobajo from the Department of Physiology, College of Medicine, University of Lagos.

It was entitled “Evaluation of the deleterious effects of aqueous fruit extract of Abelmoschus esculentus (okra fruit) on some male reproductive parameters in Sprague dawley rats.”

In their assessment, there was a reduction in the weight of the testes of treated rats, secretion of testosterone and sperm production (spermatogenesis). The weight of the prostate gland which is an accessory organ of male reproduction, responsible for secreting 20 per cent by volume of semen sample and some other nutrients required for quality sperm, was also significantly reduced in treated rats.

While attributing the reduction in sperm count in the treated rats to the reduction in weight and degenerative changes in the testes of the treated rats, they reported that the treated rats had a significant increase in the presence of abnormal sperm cells.

However, from the study, they pointed out that the treated animals were not able to recover from this deleterious effect of administering the water extract of okra within the two weeks recovery period allowed.

Meanwhile, several vegetables that are eaten or used for medicinal purposes have been reported as having effects on both male reproductive functions. These include aqueous extract of Spondias mombin bark, referred to as Iyeye among the Yoruba speaking communities. Others are water extracts of seeds of Ricinus communis and pawpaw as well as neem.

Okra is indigenous to tropical Africa and it is said to be boiled in salted water and eaten as a cure for heartburn, in particular the heartburn of late pregnancy. Okra has several other benefits. The superior fiber found in okra helps to stabilise blood sugar by curbing the rate at which sugar is absorbed from the intestinal tract. Its mucilage binds cholesterol and bile acid carrying toxins dumped into it by the filtering liver. Decoction of its young fruit is useful for catarrh.

Okra helps lubricate the large intestines due to its bulk laxative qualities. The okra fiber absorbs water and ensures bulk in stools. This helps to prevent and improve constipation. Unlike harsh wheat bran, which can irritate or injure the intestinal tract, okra’s mucilage soothes, and okra facilitates elimination more comfortably by its slippery characteristic. Okra binds excess cholesterol and toxins (in bile acids).

Okra is a supreme vegetable for those feeling weak, exhausted, and suffering from depression. It has been used for healing ulcers and to keep joints agile.

A man has been arrested after being "disruptive" on a flight from Amsterdam to Detroit - two days after a failed attack on board the same flight.

The pilot of Northwest Airlines Flight 253 requested emergency assistance as it landed at Detroit on Sunday.

All 255 passengers were taken off the plane safely. The man, reportedly Nigerian, is in custody.

It came a day after a Nigerian man was charged with attempting to destroy a plane on a flight on 25 December.

The BBC's Andy Gallacher at Detroit Metropolitan Airport said the situation was unfolding and it was unclear what had happened on Sunday's flight.

There was possibly more than one passenger involved, he added.

The plane has been taken to a remote part of the airport for searching.

US media reports said the man was Nigerian and had locked himself in the plane's bathroom.

US President Barack Obama was told about the incident.

The White House said in a statement: "The president stressed the importance of maintaining heightened security measures for all air travel."

The US and international airports were already on alert after the 25 December failed attack, in which Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab allegedly attempted to detonate an explosive device.

Fellow passengers reported seeing flames coming from Mr Abdulmutallab's lap.

The FBI said he had explosives on his body.

He was one of the over 1000 staff sacked by Oceanic Bank on December 21st, two weeks after his wedding. The his new wife wept uncontrollably upon hearing the sad news lamenting that her in-laws would accuse her of bringing misfortune to their son.

An atmosphere of fear and pity has descended on the banking industry following the retrenchment of 3500 staff by three banks within one week.
On Monday, Oceanic Bank sacked over 1000 while the previous Friday Intercontinental Bank and UBA PLC sacked 1500 and 1000 respectively.
This development has occasioned an atmosphere of fear as most bankers now approach each day with trepidation not sure if that would not be the last day at work.

Also bankers who were formerly the other of professionals have become the object of pity in the eyes of the public.

 ”You know our industry has become an industry of pity. Banking job is no longer the dream job in town”, said a banker in reference to the recent decline in the fortunes of Nigerian banks and bankers.

In deed there is no better way to capture what has befallen the banking industry since August 14th 2009, when the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) sacked the chief executives and executive directors of five banks. Suddenly an industry that is famous for declaring jumbo profits and mouth watering dividend declared loses amounting to over a trillion naira.

And an industry that is noted for generating employment in thousands suddenly began to sack en mass. As at the last count five banks have sacked 5000 staff while others are preparing their sack list.

Across the industry and among bankers there is palpable fear, anxiety and apprehension. “Everybody is afraid”, said Tope, a staff of   First Bank Olowu branch in Ikeja.

“We hear the bank wants to sack again and it might be up to 1000 this time around”, she said adding that the problem is that we don’t even know the criteria. We have been asking what the criteria are but no answer.” “I have stopped worrying”, Chinyere said , “I won’t  allow retrenchment fever kill me. I still have my certificate so I can still get job elsewhere.”

But for most bankers the challenge is more than getting another job,  that is even if there is a job waiting out there. The unemployment situation is scary with millions of graduate yet to secure job years after they left school.

The challenge for most bankers is that they are used to a high standard of living courtesy of high remuneration in the industry and the easy access to cheap loans. Most of them drive posh cars, live in high brow areas where the rents are quite staggering. Many of them have taken loans to finance various forms of asset acquisition from cars to houses.

It is not their fault. Credit is the commodity of trade in the industry and hence patronising their banks also means taking loans or buying credit from the bank.

The result is that every banker has one loan or the other to repay. “You know we bankers live on credit”, a manager with Oceanic bank said.

On top of these are  the many relatives and friends that depend on bankers for sustenance. Many of them have junior ones whom they assist to pay their school fees up to university as well as parents and elderly relatives who depend on them  for economic support from time to time.

That is why unemployment to a banker is a colossal misfortune not only to him but to his family.

Kwara State-born Mustapha is a former staff of First Bank. He was employed on February 4, 2008, confirmed in March 2009 and appraised in April 2009 and to his surprise, he was one of the 485 staff retrenched by First Bank on October 16. His father, a retired UBA staff was dazed.

Mustapha’s employment has brought lots of smiles and hope to him and the family who looked up to him as the bread winner with the added responsibility to sponsor his sibling’s education.   

The story of James is even more pathetic. He was one of the over 1000 staff sacked by Oceanic Bank on December 21st, two weeks after his wedding. The his new wife wept uncontrollably upon hearing the sad news lamenting that her in-laws would accuse her of bringing misfortune to their son.

Kunle was also among those sacked by Oceanic Bank. He sobbed like a baby when he got to the office that morning and like other affected staff discovered he couldn’t log in to the banks’ computer system, indicating he has been disengaged. He is the sole provider for his family of three children and wife.

His wife used to be gainfully employed. But due to the demands of taking care of their three children they both agreed she should resign and she did. Now both of them are unemployed.

One of the most frustrating thing aspect of the mass retrenchment and which made it very painful for the affected bankers is that for most of them they were not sacked because they were incompetent or did not perform. They were just sacked.

Kemi was one of the 300 sacked by Stanbic IBTC in October. In fact five of them were sacked at the Elephant House branch of the bank in Alausa in Lagos state.

The five of them she said were the most hardworking of the 15 staff in the branch, a situation which devastated not only them but also the branch manager who could not understand the criteria used by the management that made the five of the most dependable staff to be included in the sack list.

This makes their sack very  painful for the affected bankers. They had laboured and even slaved for the banks.

Most of them especially those that live in Lagos leave for work 4.30 am in order to bit traffic and be in the office by 7.30 am, work till 7.00pm and most times don’t get home till 10.00pm. Some even work on Saturdays and Sunday and as a result don’t have time for family and friends and even for religious programmes .

Many of them have subjected themselves to humiliating experiences in order to meet the impossible deposit targets constantly given them by the banks, and they have borrowed against future income to finance high taste induced by the banking environment. And despite all these sacrifices they found themselves rejected by the banks which they had once proudly and painfully served.

This day understands that Maryam Babaginda, the wife of General Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida, former military president of Nigeria, is dead. Recall that Maryam, who suffers from ovarian cancer, was hospitalized in a California hospital for months. 

Huhuonline.com learnt that all the former aides of the ex-president are currently at his hill top mansion in minna, while IBB who was by his wife’s bed side at the time of death, is still in California.  Our checks reveal that the Babangida family has received condolence messages, particularly from former Governor of Niger State, Engr. Kure.

Here are the pictures of the terrorist (farouk):

(CNN) -- The father of a man suspected of trying to bring down a Northwest Airlines jet recently contacted the U.S. Embassy in Nigeria about concerns that his son had "become radicalized" and could be planning something, a family source told CNN Saturday.

The son, 23-year-old Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, was charged in a federal criminal complaint Saturday with attempting to destroy the plane Friday on its final approach to Detroit Metropolitan Airport in Michigan, and with placing a destructive device on the aircraft, the Department of Justice said.

A preliminary FBI analysis found that the device contained PETN, also known as pentaerythritol, a high explosive. In addition, FBI agents recovered what appear to be the remnants of the syringe from the vicinity of Abdulmutallab's seat, believed to have been part of the device.

Abdulmutallab was to make an initial court appearance at a hospital later Saturday. Read the federal criminal complaint and affidavit

The father, Alhaji Umar Mutallab, recently retired as chairman of First Bank PLC in Nigeria, one of the nation's premier banks. He contacted the U.S. Embassy about his fears, said the source, who lives at the family home in Kaduna in northern Nigeria.

About three months ago, the family source said, the father contacted various security agencies and the U.S. Embassy in Abuja, the capital, about a text message he had received from his son the day before.

The son informed his family that he was leaving school in Dubai, where he had gone to get a second degree, to move to Yemen. He implied that he was leaving "for the course of Islam."

The family member said the son "had no family consent or support." He "absconded to Yemen."

"His mother has not been sleeping for months. She is on medication to sleep," the source said.

His information about the son was forwarded to the National Counter-Terrorism Center, and the son was added to a general watch list, a data base of suspected terrorists. But the official said "the info on him was not deemed specific enough to pull his visa or put him on a no-fly list."

Abdulmutallab suffered severe burns Friday when he ignited a small explosive device aboard the plane, and was hospitalized at the University of Michigan burn trauma center in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

His apparent plans were foiled by crew members and passengers, and he was taken into custody for questioning by the FBI, authorities said.

The family source said Abdulmutallab received a college degree at the University College of London, where spokesman Dave Weston said a man named Umar Farouk Abdul Mutallab was enrolled in the Mechanical Engineering Department between September 2005 and June 2008.

His last-known London address was a basement apartment in a wealthy neighborhood. On Saturday, counterterrorism police officers police went in and out of an ornate building on Mansfield Street where Abdulmutallab apparently lived.

Abdulmutallab was granted a multiple-year, multiple-entry tourist visa at the U.S. Embassy in London in June 2008, a senior U.S. administration official familiar with the case told CNN on Saturday.

At the time, there was "no derogatory information that would have prevented him from getting a visa," said the official.

When Abdulmuttalab returned to Nigeria from London, he told his family he wanted to get a second college degree in Cairo or Saudi Arabia, the family source said. The family refused, because they were worried that he may have developed ties to some dubious people. He went to Dubai, instead, the source said.

Abdulmuttalab sent his family a text message saying he had gone to Yemen to start a new life, and that it would be difficult for anyone to reach him because he had thrown his SIM card away, according to the source.

Abdulmuttalab's father notified the U.S. Embassy with information on his son, saying the family feared he went to Yemen to participate in "some kind of jihad."

The family, the source said, in no way supports Abdulmuttalab's actions. The father was talking to government officials Saturday, the source added.

Earlier Saturday, the Netherlands' national coordinator for counterterrorism told CNN that Abdulmuttalab had gone through "normal security procedures" in Amsterdam before boarding the flight to Detroit, and those were "well-performed."

The initial impression is that the suspect was acting alone and did not have any formal connections to organized terrorist groups, said the senior U.S. administration official, who is familiar with the investigation.

The remains of the device were sent to an FBI explosives lab in Quantico, Virginia, for analysis, security sources said.

U.S. Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Mississippi, who chairs the House Committee on Homeland Security, said the attempted act of terrorism would be the focus of an oversight hearing next month.

"The committee will get to the bottom of what did and did not happen with Mr. Abdulmutallab and what security precautions need to take place in the future," Thompson said.

The official said there was no evidence that Abdulmutallab was a hard-core, trained member of al Qaeda.

Abdulmutallab, however, claimed to have extremist ties and said the explosive device "was acquired in Yemen along with instructions as to when it should be used," a federal security bulletin obtained by CNN said.

An official with the U.S. Transportation Security Administration told CNN there will be increased security measures taken on international flights to the United States. The official advised travelers to allow for extra time before the flight. There will be no change in the number of carry-on bags allowed.

"The security of the public must always be our primary concern," said a statement Saturday from British Prime Minister Gordon Brown. The statement was read over the phone by a spokesman at 10 Downing Street.

Britain's home secretary said Saturday that the case "represents a potentially serious security threat."

Home Secretary Alan Johnson said he is following developments closely and has assured the public that police in Britain are working closely with U.S. investigators "to uncover the full background to the incident."

Read more about the investigation in the U.K.

In Nigeria, the government on Saturday said it "received with dismay the news of attempted terrorist attack on a U.S. airline" and has ordered its security agencies to investigate the incident.

"While steps are being taken to verify the identity of the alleged suspect and his motives, our security agencies will cooperate fully with the American authorities in the on-going investigations," Professor Dora Akunyili, Nigeria's minister of information and communications.

"We state very clearly that as a nation, we abhor all forms of terrorism."

Passengers described the brief moments of panic on board.

Syed Jafry, who was sitting in seat 16G, said the plane was just beginning to descend when passengers heard a pop.

"Everybody got a little bit startled," he said. "After a few seconds or so ... there was ... kind of a flamish light and there was fire" and people around the immediate area began to panic.

Jafry said the incident was under control within minutes, crediting the crew and nearby passengers for the rapid response. See passengers' accounts

Another passenger described the experience this way.

"What we heard in the beginning was a bang. Sounded first like a balloon being popped, and then a minute later there was a lady shouting back and she was saying things like, 'what are you doing, what are you doing' "?

"We heard a loud pop, then a bit of a smoke and then some flames, then yelling and screaming. From what we could tell, there was a gentleman that had some sort of device on him that caused him to catch on fire.

"All of a sudden ... flight attendants ran up and down the aisles. I think we knew at the point, when we saw the fear in the flight attendants' eyes, and they grabbed the fire extinguisher and we smelled a bunch of smoke."

No other suspicious materials were found on the plane or in luggage, the law enforcement and airline security sources said. The suspect had only carry-on luggage. The plane, an Airbus 330, was carrying 278 passengers. Delta is the parent company of Northwest.

The terror suspect who tried to blow up a Detroit-bound plane is the son of a Nigerian banker who alerted U.S. authorities to his "extreme religious views" months ago, it was reported Saturday.

The father, Alhaji Umaru Mutallab, a former minister and chairman of First Bank in Nigeria, is shocked that his son was even was allowed to fly to the U.S., family members told the Nigerian newspaper This Day.

The dad was meeting with security officials to discuss his son, identified as Umar Farouk Abdul Mutallab, 23.
The younger Mutallab was not on any no-fly list when he flew from Nigeria to Detroit through Amsterdam, Rep. Pete King (R-L.I.) told the Daily News.

When he tried to ignite powder strapped to his leg with a a chemical-filled syringe, he was tackled by a heroic passenger aboard Northwest Flight 253.

The passenger, Dutch video director Jasper Schuringa, told CNN he heard a big bang that sounded like a firecracker, then saw smoke and flames.

Schuringa said saw the man's pants were open and he was holding a burning object between his legs.

"I pulled the object from him and tried to extinguish the fire with my hands and threw it away," Schuringa said.

Schuringa grabbed Mutallab and pulled him to the front of the plane.

"He was staring into nothing," Schuringa said.

Schuringa said he stripped off the man's clothes to check for other explosives and a crew member helped handcuff him. Passengers apparently applauded his efforts as he walked back to his seat.

"My hands are pretty burned. I am fine," Schuringa said. "I am shaken up."

Schuringa was taken to the University of Michigan Medical Center Friday night.

The suspect boarded the Airbus 330 - carrying 278 passengers and 11 crew members - in Amsterdam after arriving on a flight from Lagos.

He told authorities he got the explosives in Yemen and received orders from Al Qaeda operatives to detonate the device on a plane over U.S. soil, officials said.

He is an engineering student at the University College in London. His last-known address near the school is a $4 million apartment in Central London. Police were searching there Saturday morning.

This Day reported that the suspect has been known for extremist religious views since high school at the British International School in Lome, Togo.

"At the secondary school, he was known for preaching about Islam to his schoolmates and he was popularly called 'Alfa,' a local coinage for Islamic scholar," This Day reported

A prominent Nigerian banker said he's meeting with security officials because he fears his son may have been the man who allegedly tried to bomb a U.S.-bound flight.

Former bank official Alhaji Umaru Mutallab says he traveled from his home in Nigeria's Muslim-dominated north to meet officials in Abuja, the capital. The elder Mutallab says his son, identified by U.S. officials as Umar Farouk Abdul Mutallab, was a student in London. He said his son left London to travel, though he did not know where to.

"I believe he might have been to Yemen, but we are investigating to determine that,"  Mutallab said.

The attempted bombing occurred as Northwest Airlines Flight 253 from Amsterdam prepared to land in Detroit just before noon Friday.

British officials on Saturday were searching the last known address of the suspect, who was thought to be an engineering student at University College London, one of the United Kingdom's leading universities, according to Sky News.

'First there was a pop'
Travelers said they smelled smoke, saw a glow, and heard what sounded like firecrackers as Flight 253, carrying 278 passengers and 11 crew members from Amsterdam, prepared to land.

"It sounded like a firecracker in a pillowcase," said Peter Smith, a passenger from the Netherlands. "First there was a pop, and then (there) was smoke."

Smith said one passenger, sitting opposite the suspect, climbed over passengers, went across the aisle and tried to restrain the man, who officials say was trying to ignite an explosive device. The heroic passenger appeared to have been burned.

Afterward, the suspect was taken to a front-row seat with his pants cut off and his legs burned. Multiple law enforcement officials also said the man appeared badly burned on his legs, indicating the explosive was strapped there. The components were apparently mixed in-flight and included a powdery substance, multiple law enforcement and counterterrorism officials said.

Attempted act of terrorism
The White House said it believed it was an attempted act of terrorism and stricter security measures were quickly imposed on airline travel. Dutch anti-terrorism authorities said the U.S. has asked all airlines to take extra precautions on flights worldwide that are bound for the United States.

The incident was reminiscent of Richard Reid, who tried to destroy a trans-Atlantic flight in 2001 with explosives hidden in his shoes, but was subdued by other passengers.

Multiple law enforcement officials identified the suspect in Friday's attempted attack as Umar Farouk Abdul Mutallab, 23. He was described as Nigerian.

One law enforcement official said the man claimed to have been instructed by al-Qaida to detonate the plane over U.S. soil, but other law enforcement officials cautioned that such claims could not be verified immediately, and said the man may have been acting independently — inspired but not specifically trained or ordered by terror groups.

All the officials spoke on condition of anonymity because the investigation was continuing.

Intelligence and anti-terrorism officials in Yemen said they were investigating claims by the suspect that he picked up the explosive device and instructions on how to use it in that country. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they are not authorized to speak to the media.

'Pass mark'
The man was being questioned Friday evening. An intelligence official said he was being held and treated in an Ann Arbor, Michigan, hospital. The hospital said one passenger from the flight was taken to the University of Michigan Medical Center in Ann Arbor, but referred all inquiries to the FBI.

Melinda Dennis, who was seated in the front row of the plane, said the man involved was brought to the front row and seated near her. She said his legs appeared to be badly burned and his pants were cut off. She said he was taken off the plane handcuffed to a stretcher.

One law enforcement official, also speaking on condition of anonymity, said Mutallab's name had surfaced earlier on at least one U.S. intelligence database, but he was not on a watch list or a no-fly list.

The suspect boarded in Nigeria and went through Amsterdam en route to Detroit, Peter King, the ranking Republican member of the House Homeland Security Committee, told CNN. A spokeswoman for police at the Schiphol airport in Amsterdam declined comment about the case or about security procedures at the airport for Flight 253.

Dutch airline KLM says the connection in Amsterdam from Lagos, Nigeria, to Detroit involves a change in carrier and a change in aircraft.

Schiphol airport, one of Europe's busiest with a heavy load of transit passengers from Africa and Asia to North America, strictly enforces European security regulations including only allowing small amounts of liquid in hand luggage that must be placed inside clear plastic bags.

A spokesman for the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, Akin Olukunle, said all passengers and their luggage are screened before boarding international flights. He also said the airport in Lagos cleared a U.S. Transportation Security Administration audit in November.

"We had a pass mark," Olukunle said. "We actually are up to standards in all senses."


Nigeria's information minister, Dora Akunyili, condemned the attempted bombing. She said the government has opened its own investigation into the suspect and will work with U.S. authorities.

"We state very clearly that as a nation we abhor all forms of violence," Akunyili said in a statement issued Saturday.

London's Metropolitan Police also was working with U.S. officials, a spokeswoman said, and searches were being conducted in that city. The spokeswoman would not provide additional details, including what connection the suspect had to London or what was being searched. She spoke on condition of anonymity in line with department policy.

Saharareporters has identified the family of Umar Farouk Abdul Mutallab, the 23 year old would–be bomber of Northwest Airline flight 253, who was arrested yesterday in Detroit, Michigan.  He is the son of the recently retired Chairman of First Bank of Nigeria, Dr. Umaru Abdul Mutallab.

The Al-Qaida-linked Abdul Farouk Abdulmutallab is an engineering student at University College London.  Saharareporters sources have revealed that prior to his sojourn in the UK, Farouk had studied at the prestigious British School of Lome, Togo. Where he passed his International Bacchalaureates Diploma before moving to UCL.

The Muttalabs hail from Katsina Township in the home state of Nigeria’s sickly leader, Umaru Musa Yar’adua, where Dr. Muttalab was born in 1939.

Dr. Muttallab, who is currently the chairman of First Islamic bank, JBI, in Nigeria, sits on the board of that bank with Dr. Rilwan Lukman, the Minister of Petroleum resources. He has two wives.

The younger Muttallab lives in a £4 million pounds apartment in Central London, although he is only a student. The apartment, Flat 16, no 2 Mansfield Street in London, W1G9NE is registered to a US company and has been raided by UK security agents today.

Family sources that declined to be named told Saharareporters that in 2008, Farouk has left the London school and frequented Yemen.  He told his friends and relatives that he wanted to study Arabic, a decision that came after he reportedly met Islamic radical elements in London.

An Alimosho Grade ‘B’ Customary Court, Lagos was stunned last week when an enraged Mr. Olayinka Ajayi-Bembe threatened to set himself and his wife, Mrs. Bolanle Ajayi-Bembe on fire, except the court immediately dissolved their marriage.

His grouse was that the woman had repeatedly denied him sex for over three years while at the same time going out with another man despite still married.

The aggrieved husband stormed the court with an empty keg of petrol insisting that the marriage must be dissolved otherwise he would cause commotion either in court or in their home, if the court did not resolve the matter that day.

He disclosed that he and the woman cannot continue to live under the same roof.
Ajayi, who frowned at the efforts of the Office of the Public Defender (OPD), Alausa to resolve the matter, complained that only a speedy trial and dissolution of the case would stop him

According to him, allowing the OPD to intervene in the case, especially after the matter is before a court of law was like adding salt to his injury.

He said “I cannot continue to live with this woman again, by the time I finish with her, the story will change. I will set both of us on fire, if she dares follow me to my house.

“I am tired of living under the same roof with a woman who has denied me sex for over three years. She has become unruly and had also refused to cook for me.”

He argued that his wife has been coming with another man to her matrimonial home to have sex when he is not around, adding that the man lives in their neighbourhood.

“She brings her boyfriend into our matrimonial home, right on our bed, when ever I go to work. The man lives very close to our house and he is a member of a dreaded militant group. I cannot continue to risk my life because of an ungrateful wife,” he said.

The court quickly advised him not to carry out his threat, saying that it is impossible to join unwilling partners or couple together. He was told that he should exercise patience to allow the matter to be settled legally.

In her response, the woman at the center of the crisis, Bolanle denied all the allegations leveled against her by her husband.

She said though she would have preferred to stay in her matrimonial home, but since the man is unwilling to be her husband, she would concede to the dissolution of the marriage.

Despite the husbands position, an officiall of the OPD, one Mrs Olayemi Oni who was in court argued that the couple could still resolve their differences. She prayed the court to grant her some time for the couple to find a lasting solution to the problem.

Before the matter was adjourned, the court warned both parties to maintain peace.