By Ryan Holmes
The family of one of the men suspected of killing a British soldier in Woolwich last week have made a statement calling the event ‘senseless’, firmly distancing themselves from the attack.
The incident caused a significant number of anti-Muslim protests across the UK, with groups such as the EDL coming out in full force to show their disgust at the attack.
Lee Rigby, who was a returning veteran from the Afghanistan war, was aged 25 when he was brutally murdered by two men who claimed they were killing in the name of Islam. The men were also captured on camera phone videos making various religious pronouncements, further inciting religious and racial tensions.
In their first comments to the press since the murder, relatives of Michael Adebolajo, who is a British-born Nigerian convert to Islam from Christianity, have told of their horror and shame regarding his actions.
“Nothing we say can undo the events of last week,” the family said in a statement.
“However, as a family, we wish to share with others our horror at the senseless killing of Lee Rigby and express our profound shame and distress that this has brought on our family.”
The attack does not to appear to have been as random as first thought. The security services have been under intense scrutiny, as MI5 were said to have been fully aware of Adebolajo and his extreme beliefs. Also, recent information has shed light revealing that security forces had known of a 2010 arrest in Kenya, on suspicion of training with Al Qaeda in Somalia. Many are questioning whether more could have been done by Britain’s spy agencies to prevent the attack.
Police have now arrested a total of ten people in connection with last Tuesday’s incident, with half being released on bail and two others released without charge, though it would appear investigations are far from over as police continue to appeal for witnesses to come forward.
