Woolwich Murder: British Officials Aware of Suspect’s Links with Al Qaeda

London officials have confirmed that Michael Adebolajo, one of the two men held for killing soldier Lee Rigby last week, was arrested in 2010 in Kenya for his links with an Al Qaeda outfit.

Adebolajo was said to have fought for Somali extremist group, Al-Shabab, affiliated to Al Qaeda when he was detained in Kenya on November 2010.

The report confirmed by Britain's Foreign Office said the ministry had provided 'consular assistance' to Adebolajo, a British citizen of Nigerian origin.

Speaking to ITV, Adebolajo's brother-in-law revealed that the British government refused to help him even when he was "tortured... violently and sexually" while in police custody.

The government's reluctance to aid him clarifies Adebolajo's mad rants after the brutal murder where he had said, "Remove your government. They don't care about you."

In what appears to a case of laxity on the part of authorities, some controversial reports have come to light.

One such was Ibrahim Hassan, Adebolajo's friend, who revealed in an interview that the British Security service MI5 had asked Adebolajo to work for them considering his links to Islamist terrorist groups. He was approached after being deported from Kenya but refused the offer.

Soon after the interview, Hassan was arrested but authorities stated that Hassan's detention had no relation to Woolwich attack.

Meanwhile, struck in a line of fire, the Foreign Office tried to downplay the criticism saying the assistance provided to Adebolajo was "as normal for British nationals". On the other hand, Kenyan officials admitted they held Adebolajo but said he had used a different name, Michael Olemendis Ndemolajo, when he was arrested near the Somali border.

In another development in the Lee Rigby murder, police have detained a 22-year-old man from North London in connection with the case taking the number of suspects to six.