Nigerian Student In America Threatens To Blow Up American University

Ill. student accused of terrorist threat By JIM SUHR, Associated Press Writer
28 minutes ago
 


EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. - A university student was arrested after authorities say he threatened a "murderous rampage" similar to the Virginia Tech shootings that left 32 people and a student gunman dead, authorities said.

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A gun dealer had alerted federal authorities about the man, saying he had seemed overly anxious to get a shipment of semiautomatic weapons, according to an affidavit filed in court by a police detective.

Olutosin Oduwole, who was taking summer classes at Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville, was charged Tuesday with attempting to make a terrorist threat, a felony. He remained jailed Wednesday in lieu of $1 million bail.

According to the affidavit, the 22-year-old wrote a note demanding that money be deposited to a PayPal account, threatening that "if this account doesn't reach $50,000 in the next 7 days then a murderous rampage similar to the VT shooting will occur at another highly populated university. THIS IS NOT A JOKE!"

The note had suggested the shooting would target a "prestigious" university, but that word was crossed out. There was no direct mention of Southern Illinois University.

John Cernkovich, Oduwole's attorney on unrelated theft and fraud charges filed last week, described Oduwole as a musician who writes rap lyrics and said the threatening note was on a sheet of paper that included rap words.

"I'm not a psychologist or psychiatrist, but I understand that in this environment — post-Sept. 11 — authorities don't take any chances," Cernkovich said. "Unfortunately, my client now is in custody because of that."

Authorities found the note Friday in Oduwole's car on campus, university spokesman Greg Conroy said. Police also said they found a loaded gun in Oduwole's dorm room.

The detective said in the affidavit that Oduwole, of Maplewood, N.J., had recently bought three semiautomatic guns online but had not yet received them, and also had ordered a weapon similar to an Uzi submachine gun.

A gun dealer alerted the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives because Oduwole "appeared very anxious to get these firearms and seemed very impatient," the affidavit said.

According to a search warrant, police also seized a picture of Oduwole flashing gang signs, a camcorder and US. and Nigerian passports. The court documents did not list the name on those passports.

Oduwole was charged July 19 with theft and fraud for selling an M-16 rifle online but failing to ship the weapon to the buyer, prosecutors said.

Cernkovich said Wednesday his client is a US. citizen and described him as "pretty normal."

"I didn't think he was an irrational person," the lawyer said.

Steve Holeman, 24, a senior at the school and Oduwole's friend, said the matter was "absolutely a misunderstanding." He declined to discuss it further.

Oduwole, who is president of the local chapter of the Iota Phi Theta fraternity, first attended the school during the 2005-06 year but sat out a year on academic probation, Conroy said.

Cernkovich said Oduwole's father was in the area Wednesday.

"His dad's having a difficult time understanding how the system works," Cernkovich said.

The Madison County state's attorney did not immediately respond to a message seeking comment.

Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville is about 20 miles northeast of St. Louis and has an enrollment of about 13,500 students.

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On the Net:

http://www.siue.edu/

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070725/ap_on_re_us/student_threat_charges;_ylt=AvC7ESVieTMYhgi96DzcwfSs0NUE

that's crazy

Which kain hip hop fad    Tell this to homeland security!   Another of our southern brothers bringing shame to Nigeria as a whole!

A 22 year old gun dealer? Why we choose to imitate negative aspects of any developed society beats my imagination!

@ MILITIA
i just can't help with your porous thinking.
Must you make this a north-south west-east issue?

I think the guy's lawyer got it. He was caught @ the wrong time - with the virginia tech issue and terrorist fears. He was caught with inciteful writing in a paper that contained other rap lyrics in his car.
Yea he's got strong suspicion hovering around his doings but not like the psychotic virginia tech case or someone with a political cause. The fear of our times should not make us lump things like this together. Criminal matters like these should be treated case after case.

I'm surprised where are all the Igbo haters, make una come see oh!!

Nna find them. Kpo ha ni ne, ndi anumani. Fa bia fu nwanne fa. Onye ofe mmanu bu terrorist.

@ Topic

If na South south pikin now, Una for don call am militant. If na Easterner, Una for say Igboman don start again. Now na Westener, all of una dey call am Law abiding citizen abi?? Make una leave hypocricy hand make hypocricy leave una too.


Yes O! yes . O now that a yoruba man is involved it is tribalism abi?? Absolute rubbish

Esss you have your 5 senses for a reason, use them concisely.

I really don't give a rat's ass what you think OK. Like Esss said, if that was an Igbo name up there, this thread would have been 6 pages long by now with all that Igbo this and Igbo that nonsense. I pray that fake ass wannabe terrorist gets a life sentense for  all I care. I'm off to dinner, you all have a good evening.

Okay.

Esss!  Boy! I have missed you!   See trouble oh!  Who said anything about tribes here now?  That is why certain people will never grow up from their  "punkhood"!!!!   Esss--------na you talk am!!!!  Please stop oh before Seun wake up to give warning!!!!   This political section really sucks most of the time just because of the same old farts!!!!

I trust you ke!!!!   This your partucular son "Olutosin Oduwole" will send your business into bankruptcy now for looking for $1million dollar bail now!!!  10% is $100,000 dollars to be paid up before his gun-dealing arse will smell out of jail!!!!! The consequences of careless, stupid talk---in this age of terrorism!!!!  Please send bail money over here oh---from Donald Duke your uncle!!!!!!

I'll attempt to jog your memory


now if you'll like to continue pretending that you don't know how tribalism creeped into the thread, you can talk to the back of my hand.
just don't bite off my fingers.

love hahahahah, don't flatter yourself, I didn't mean to hurt your feelings, abeg just frown.

"nairaland gangsters" meheh, look here bro, the only internet hoodlums i've encountered (worthy of being called gangsters) are Naughty Boys.
I hope you're not subjugating that I hack? if you are, thanks for the compliment  .

p.s. you and I both know your rambunctious intentions deflected that thread from its true purpose.
i'm still waiting on you to offload your fury, I guess the vaccine from earlier this morning is still effective? glad to see you're under control. good job logan, good job!

Thank you sir!!!!!!  Anything to contribute to the "topic" besides my darling beloved "Logan"?

@ Esss
Sad to say-------the first to be apprehended by homeland security for terroristic language!!!  But on a serious note, are we not all Southerners???  So why all this bad belle--among us???

Re-read carefully.  I mentioned "the makings of a Cho"

On another note, are you insinuating that there's a problem with 22-year-olds handling guns?

Amendment II
A well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed.

I just wanted to point that out to you, though I'm not an avid supporter of the pro-gun agenda.