Thursday March 27, 2025

Kenyan national Cholo Abdi Abdullah is seen in a mugshot from his July 2019 arrest in the Philippines released by the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group. Criminal Investigation and Detection Group

MINNEAPOLIS, Minnesota (HOL)  — A Kenyan man convicted of plotting a 9/11-style suicide attack on behalf of the Somali militant group Al-Shabaab has delayed his sentencing in the United States after abruptly reversing his legal strategy and requesting new representation.

Cholo Abdi Abdullah, 35, was scheduled to be sentenced earlier this month following his conviction on six terrorism-related counts, including conspiracy to commit aircraft piracy and murder U.S. nationals. But after months of rejecting both court-appointed and private counsel—claiming he did not recognize the legitimacy of the American legal system—Abdullah stunned a Manhattan courtroom this week by asking to start “everything over” with a new legal team. His sentencing is now postponed until April 7.

“I don’t want these two lawyers to represent me. I want to start fresh,” Abdullah told Judge Analisa Torres during a subdued hearing in Manhattan, where he appeared in a wrinkled beige jail smock over a bright orange T-shirt. The judge closed the courtroom for a private discussion before appointing new counsel.

Federal prosecutors are calling for a life sentence, citing Abdullah’s specialized pilot training and ongoing threat to national security. “He remains a skillful, well-educated, and highly trained terrorist who is readily capable of hijacking a commercial aircraft to commit a terrorist act,” prosecutors wrote in a sentencing memorandum.

They warned that his plot came “terrifyingly close” to being executed, halted just before he obtained a commercial pilot’s license. “Law enforcement thwarted the defendant’s plot shortly before he obtained his commercial pilot’s license—inches away from bringing his murderous plans to fruition.”

Court documents reveal Abdullah intended to crash a hijacked aircraft into one of the tallest buildings in Atlanta, including the 55-story Bank of America Plaza, in a direct attempt to mirror the September 11, 2001, attacks.

His plot, which unfolded over several years, was interrupted in 2019 when he was arrested in the Philippines and later extradited to the United States.

According to court testimony and FBI investigations, Abdullah joined Al-Shabaab in 2015 and underwent three months of weapons and explosives training in Somalia. 

He was later sent to the Philippines, where, between 2017 and 2019, he enrolled in a flight school, completed hundreds of hours of coursework, and earned his private pilot’s license — all under the guise of pursuing a career in commercial aviation. In reality, authorities say, he was being groomed for a suicide mission.

While obtaining his pilot’s license, Abdullah meticulously researched how to breach cockpit doors, hijack airliners, obtain U.S. visas, and identify prominent American buildings as potential targets. He used encrypted channels to report his progress to his Al-Shabaab handler, believed to be Ali Salim Gichunge—also known as Faruuq—another Kenyan operative linked to a deadly hotel attack in Nairobi.

At the time of his arrest on July 1, 2019, Abdullah was living in a quiet town of 55,000 people in the Philippines and nearing completion of his flight training. Police seized a loaded pistol, bomb-making materials, and aviation documents from his residence. He was extradited to the U.S. in December 2020 to face federal charges.

During his trial in New York, Abdullah refused to participate in legal proceedings. He offered no opening statement, asked no questions of witnesses, and repeatedly told standby counsel that he had no interest in defending himself. Prosecutors said he intended to “sit passively” and accept the outcome “because he does not believe this is a legitimate system.”

Despite his silence, the evidence was damning. The jury returned a unanimous verdict on November 4, 2024, convicting Abdullah of all six charges, including providing material support to a foreign terrorist organization and conspiracy to commit acts of terrorism transcending national boundaries.

“Abdullah trained with Al-Shabaab for months in Somalia to become a deadly terrorist,” said U.S. Attorney Damian Williams. “He was on the cusp of getting a commercial pilot license while planning a mass-casualty attack. Thanks to the work of law enforcement here and abroad, his plans were stopped before lives were lost.”

U.S. authorities believe Abdullah’s plot was not an isolated act, but part of a plot by Al-Shabaab—an al-Qaeda affiliate based in Somalia—to project its reach beyond East Africa.

The investigation spanned multiple continents and included the FBI, U.S. Department of Defense, and security agencies in Kenya and the Philippines. U.S. officials credited international cooperation for foiling the plot and capturing Abdullah before he could carry out an attack.

If sentenced to the full extent of the law, Abdullah faces life in federal prison. Three of the charges alone carry potential life sentences, while the remaining charges include mandatory minimums of 20 years.