paddy_lo:

12.28.2009

Prior to this incident, his father, having become concerned about his disappearance and stoppage of communication while schooling abroad, reported the matter to the Nigerian security agencies about two months ago, and to some foreign security agencies about a month and a half ago, then sought their assistance to find and return him home.

paddy_lo:

We provided them with all the information required of us to enable them do this. We were hopeful that they would find and return him home. It was while we were waiting for the outcome of their investigation that we arose to the shocking news of that day.

paddy_lo:

The disappearance and cessation of communication which got his mother and father concerned to report to the security agencies are completely out of character and a very recent development, as before then, from very early childhood, Farouk, to the best of parental monitoring, had never shown any attitude, conduct or association that would give concern. As soon as concern arose, very recently, his parents, reported it and sought help.

wirinet:

Although i sympathize with the Mutallabs, this press release is neither here nor there.

The statement here does not say that the boy is an extremist with a propensity to commit terrorism, it says they were concerned that their son is missing and want foreign agencies to help them find him.
What kind of information did they provide, when they were actually seeking for information of his whereabouts and help return him home.

Further shows that they were more concerned about his whereabouts than his activities. So they were seeking help rather than trying to help.
How can they have provides the best parental monitoring and they do not know his whereabouts. How could they have provided parental anything when the boy had been away from home from such an early age.

~Sauron~:

Read between the lines.

The family alerted the US/UK embassies in Nigeria that they are not satisfied with the kinda company their son is keeping.
How many Nigerian families would do that to their own sons?
Stop apportioning blame, Farouk is the culprit. . . . .nothing to do with his family.

What has parenting gotta do with a son that is determined to go BAD?
He left Nigeria at an early age so they can provide him the best education possible. . . . .That is good parenting.
Farouk stayed in London for 3 years studying engineering with his tuition paid by his parents. . . . .Another good parenting.

His movement couldn't have been restricted. His parents stay in Nigeria, Farouk was staying in the UK where he probably got radicalised.
As soon as his parents suspected him to be misbehaving and travelling to the middle east, they alerted security officers.
America should be held responsible for giving this dude a Visa despite him being on their watch-list.

wirinet:

It saddens me that most Nigerians do not have an understanding of what parenting entails. And this is why we have so many social problems such as cultism, prostitution, 419, etc among the youths. Good parenting involves inculcating family values into your children and not allowing others to do it for you. That was the traditional African system. Even the western world we are trying to emulate emphasize parents inculcating values into their children before sending them into the world.

I have a cousin whose parents were very wealthy and they sent their first son abroad very early in life to some of the best schools in the world. The boy came back in his late teens a drug addict and social deviant and we have been taking him to Yaba periodically for the last 30 years. I always blame the parents for bed parenting.

The inmates of Yaba are mainly children of the high and mighty, some of whom had been brought back from the US.

I am very surprised you are asking what  parenting has do with a son that is determined to go BAD. Sending a child to a good school is good, but that without parental guidance does not constitute good parenting.

I am not blaming the family directly for their son's crimes, what i blame them (especially the mother) for is for not contributing positively to the character of their child. The boy is clearly mentally disturbed. People find solace in religious extremism in order to cope with more disturbing mental and emotional problems

wirinet:

I won't quarrel with any of your arguments save the one bordering on parenting since i do not know the exact nature of the information provided to the US/UK embassies.

It saddens me that most Nigerians do not have an understanding of what parenting entails. And this is why we have so many social problems such as cultism, prostitution, 419, etc among the youths. Good parenting involves inculcating family values into your children and not allowing others to do it for you. That was the traditional African system. Even the western world we are trying to emulate emphasize parents inculcating values into their children before sending them into the world.

I have a cousin whose parents were very wealthy and they sent their first son abroad very early in life to some of the best schools in the world. The boy came back in his late teens a drug addict and social deviant and we have been taking him to Yaba periodically for the last 30 years. I always blame the parents for bed parenting.

The inmates of Yaba are mainly children of the high and mighty, some of whom had been brought back from the US.

I am very surprised you are asking what  parenting has do with a son that is determined to go BAD. Sending a child to a good school is good, but that without parental guidance does not constitute good parenting.

I am not blaming the family directly for their son's crimes, what i blame them (especially the mother) for is for not contributing positively to the character of their child. The boy is clearly mentally disturbed. People find solace in religious extremism in order to cope with more disturbing mental and emotional problems

wirinet:


The inmates of Yaba are mainly children of the high and mighty, some of whom had been brought back from the US.

wirinet:

Although i sympathize with the Mutallabs, this press release is neither here nor there.

The statement here does not say that the boy is an extremist with a propensity to commit terrorism, it says they were concerned that their son is missing and want foreign agencies to help them find him.

wirinet:

Further shows that they were more concerned about his whereabouts than his activities. So they were seeking help rather than trying to help.

Kobojunkie:

This is similar to what I have gotten from this so far.

Same impression I have gotten so far from reports.

~Bluetooth:

Thats why i will continue to dislike the western law on parenting.I have heard series of cases where children sued their parents by interfering in their privacy.People should not blame his parent as much as this is a common thing in the west.The good thing the man could have done was to alert the united states and nigeria security agencies on the activities of the boy and which he did irrespective of the format he presented the case.If i may ask,how many parents can conviniently report their child of theft,prostitution or armed robbery to the police.If the action of this man continued to be criticized,then i wonder how fathers of future terrorists would report their children for extremist and terrorism.

wirinet:

It saddens me that most Nigerians do not have an understanding of what parenting entails. And this is why we have so many social problems such as cultism, prostitution, 419, etc among the youths. Good parenting involves inculcating family values into your children and not allowing others to do it for you. That was the traditional African system. Even the western world we are trying to emulate emphasize parents inculcating values into their children before sending them into the world.

spikedcylinder:

Dude, everyone was born unclothed, no one came with a rule book. There's no clear cut approach to parenting as different methods work for different children. I think its the nature vs nurture thing. Farouk's parents did what they thought was best for him - sent him to the best schools money can buy and provided him with unimaginable comfort. There's no telling that he wouldn't have turned out the same way if they had kept him at home and sent him to Al-Amin grammar school.
Blaming the parents here is soooooo off the point.

OMO IBO:

I do not understand the rationale behind blaming the parents for the sins of a full fledged 23 year old.

The mere fact that Dr Umaru AbdulMutallab alerted the US authorities to his son's rather radical activites speak volumes.
I believe he should be absolved of his sons actions.
Although, it would be interesting to know his stance/views with regards to the spate of suicide bombings in other parts of world.

Beaf:

Imagine an 18 year old (his age when he started the engineering course at UCL) living in a $4 million flat! What would his understanding of life be?