Wetin wey we dey yarn today na story of one Somali man wey dey live for United Kingdom, wey court say im don try to join ISIS after im bin dey chat with AI chatbot. The man, Mohamed Mahmud, na 22 years old, and im dey face trial for Winchester Crown Court.
According to wetin court hear, Mahmud bin travel go Somalia because im wan join di terror group, and im bin follow advice wey im get from di AI program. Di prosecution say im even wan become shahiid, wey mean say im ready to die for im belief. But e no succeed to join Islamic State, and when im come back to England, dem arrest am.
Mahmud dey deny di charge wey say im dey prepare terrorist act or acts. Im lawyer, Naomi Parsons, wey be prosecutor, tell court say Mahmud don become radicalized, and im believe for extreme Islamic ideology. She say im decide to join Islamic State for Somalia before di end of 2024, and one part of im contact with di group na through internet, including AI chatbots and real people.
She explain say Mahmud contact person online and tell am: ‘I be Somali boy wey dey England. I wan travel go Boosaaso for northeast Somalia, so I fit join mujahideen. You know how to do hijra?’ Di word mujahideen na dem dey use for people wey dey fight jihad.
Di court also hear say Mahmud buy plane ticket go back to Somalia, and im travel on January 30, 2025. Im stay with im grandmother, and im dey in touch with two people wey be members of ISIS. One of dem, wey im name na Abu Cali, ask am if im know say di situation na war. Abu Cali talk say: ‘You know how di matter dey? Air strikes dey continue, and serious fighting dey go on now. You dey follow all those things?’
Mahmud answer say: ‘Yes brother, I know everything. I really want to reach shahada, and there is no better time than now.’ But according to Ms Parsons, dem tell am say di road to join ISIS don close because of di war, so im decide to return to UK on March 3.
She say im continue to communicate with di recruiters, and im tell dem: ‘Any time you call me, I go come back.’ Di court don hear say di way im use im phone to send messages, take photos, and chat with AI chatbots don provide plenty information about im activities.
IS-Somalia na group wey dem establish for year 2015, and e break from another terrorist group wey get link with Al-Qaeda. Di trial still dey go on.
