NAIROBI, Kenya- A Kenyan man has been handed two consecutive life sentences in a U.S. federal prison after being convicted of plotting a “9/11-style” terrorist attack targeting Atlanta’s tallest building, the Bank of America Plaza.
Plot to Hijack Passenger Aircraft
Prosecutors told the court that the suspect planned to hijack a commercial passenger plane and crash it into the downtown skyscraper.
Investigators revealed that the plot was already in motion, with the man conducting detailed research on airline operations, security procedures, and potential targets in Atlanta.
Court documents showed that he joined the al-Shabaab militant group in Somalia in 2015, undergoing military training in firearms and explosives for about a year.
Between 2017 and 2019, he attended a flight school in the Philippines, where he completed classroom lessons, simulations, and flying practice. By the time of his arrest, he had nearly fulfilled the requirements to qualify as a commercial airline pilot.
Prosecutors said his training was financed by al-Shabaab through funds raised via extortion and other illegal activities.
During his flight training, he carried out extensive online research, studying cockpit doors, airline security protocols, transit visa requirements, and methods of smuggling weapons onto aircraft.
He also analysed past hijacking attempts and sent progress reports to his handlers, stressing that having a pilot already inside the cockpit would be critical to the mission’s success.
His planning reportedly intensified after the al-Shabaab attack on a Nairobi hotel complex, prompting him to search for Delta Air Lines flights and information about Atlanta’s tallest building.
Arrest and Conviction
Authorities arrested him in the Philippines in July 2019 before the plan could be executed and later transferred him to U.S. custody.
During interrogation, officials said he admitted he was training to hijack a plane on behalf of al-Shabaab, acknowledging that the attack would likely kill many people, including himself.
A federal jury convicted him on six terrorism-related charges, including providing material support to a foreign terrorist organisation, aircraft piracy, and conspiring to murder U.S. nationals.
In addition to the two life sentences, the court imposed a lifetime of supervised release.
The case underscores ongoing global concerns about extremist groups seeking to exploit aviation systems, and highlights the role of international cooperation in disrupting such plots before they can be carried out.
