A Kenyan man has been handed two life sentences in the United States for plotting a terrorist attack similar to the September 11 attacks, acting on behalf of the Somali militant group al-Shabaab.

The US Department of Justice announced on December 22 that 34-year-old Cholo Abdi Abdullah was convicted of planning to hijack a commercial airliner and attack US targets.

Abdullah, who was convicted on November 4, 2024, faced charges including “conspiring to provide and providing material support to a foreign terrorist organisation, and conspiring to murder US nationals, commit aircraft piracy, destroy aircraft, and commit acts of terrorism transcending national boundaries.”

He was arrested in the Philippines in July 2019 and later extradited to the United States in 2020.

John Eisenberg, the assistant attorney general for national security, described Abdullah’s plan as an attempt to copy “the most horrific terrorist attack in our history, as he prepared to hijack a commercial airline to take down a building on US soil.”

“His life sentence is a powerful reminder that those who plot attacks against the United States will be prosecuted and punished to the fullest extent of the law,” Eisenberg added.

Abdullah became a member of al-Shabaab in 2015 and later travelled to the Philippines for flight training between 2017 and 2019. He completed nearly all the steps required to earn a commercial pilot’s license, with his training fully funded by al-Shabaab, which the US government has recognised as a foreign terrorist organisation and an affiliate of al-Qaeda since 2008.

According to Jay Clayton, US attorney for the Southern District of New York, Abdullah told the FBI he “was fully prepared to die in his terrorist attack.”

Investigators revealed that Abdullah conducted thorough research on airline security, flight procedures, and potential targets. His focus included Delta Airlines flights, which have a major hub in Atlanta, and prominent buildings such as the 55-story Bank of America Plaza.

Throughout his planning, Abdullah provided al-Shabaab handlers with regular updates on his progress, highlighting his detailed preparation for the attack.

He was arrested in the Philippines in July 2019 and later extradited to the United States in 2020.

John Eisenberg, the assistant attorney general for national security, described Abdullah’s plan as an attempt to copy “the most horrific terrorist attack in our history, as he prepared to hijack a commercial airline to take down a building on US soil.”

“His life sentence is a powerful reminder that those who plot attacks against the United States will be prosecuted and punished to the fullest extent of the law,” Eisenberg added.

Abdullah became a member of al-Shabaab in 2015 and later travelled to the Philippines for flight training between 2017 and 2019. He completed nearly all the steps required to earn a commercial pilot’s license, with his training fully funded by al-Shabaab, which the US government has recognised as a foreign terrorist organisation and an affiliate of al-Qaeda since 2008.

According to Jay Clayton, US attorney for the Southern District of New York, Abdullah told the FBI he “was fully prepared to die in his terrorist attack.”

Investigators revealed that Abdullah conducted thorough research on airline security, flight procedures, and potential targets. His focus included Delta Airlines flights, which have a major hub in Atlanta, and prominent buildings such as the 55-story Bank of America Plaza.

Throughout his planning, Abdullah provided al-Shabaab handlers with regular updates on his progress, highlighting his detailed preparation for the attack.