UK man charged over alleged links to al-Shabab militants
London (AX) — A British man has been charged in connection with directing terrorist activity tied to the Somali militant group al-Shabab, as he prepares to appear before a court, the Metropolitan Police said Thursday.
Thursday April 9, 2026
London (AX) — A British man has been charged in connection with directing terrorist activity tied to the Somali militant group al-Shabab, as he prepares to appear before a court, the Metropolitan Police said Thursday.
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Jermaine Grant, 43, who has no fixed address, was charged after an investigation by Counter Terrorism Policing London. Prosecutors say he directed the activities of al-Shabab, the al-Qaida-linked group that has long operated in Somalia.
Grant faces three counts of attending an al-Shabab commando training camp in Kismayu, Somalia, and two counts of possessing an AK-47 rifle for terrorist purposes between Dec. 31, 2007, and Jan. 1, 2010, during a period when the group was active in the country.
He is due to appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Thursday.
Frank Ferguson, head of the Crown Prosecution Service’s Special Crime and Counter Terrorism Division, said the case remains active and stressed Grant’s right to a fair hearing.
“It is vital that there should be no reporting, commentary or sharing of information online which could in any way prejudice these proceedings,” Ferguson said.
The U.K. government has described al-Shabab as a continuing threat in Somalia, especially in Mogadishu, where the group has staged headline-grabbing attacks that have challenged state authority. It has also targeted international aid workers, journalists, businesspeople and non-governmental organizations opposed to its operations.