Failed 2005 London Bomber Freed After Just 16 Years
Manfo Asiedu, a key player in the botched 2005 London bomb plot, has been released from prison after serving only 16 years of a 33-year sentence. The 53-year-old has now been deported back to Ghana following his early release.
Plot to Blow Up London Transport Network
Asiedu was part of a terror gang that tried to detonate explosives on London’s tubes and buses on July 21, 2005—just two weeks after the deadly 7/7 attacks that claimed 52 lives. Thankfully, the plan failed because of faulty bomb ingredients. Asiedu was arrested and sentenced in 2007 for his involvement.
Claims of Protest, Not Terror
During his trial, Asiedu confessed to buying bomb materials but insisted the plot was a protest against the Iraq war, not intended to cause harm. He even claimed he dumped the explosives in a West London park rather than set them off.
Tory MP Mark Francois slammed the early release, saying: “Given the number murdered on 7/7, it’s obscene that anyone involved in a similar plot should be released early, whether subsequently deported or not. This is a truly awful decision.”
Turned on Co-Conspirators, Then Flew the Flag for His Own Innocence
Asiedu discredited his co-defendants’ defence that the attack was a hoax, positioning himself as an innocent caught in their plans. He claimed he believed the bombs were fake until the night before the attack.
Known also as Sumailia Abubakhari, Asiedu gave conflicting details about his background, saying his father was a Muslim pharmacist and builder, and his mother a Christian businesswoman.
Fellow Plotters Locked Up for Decades
Four other men involved—Muktar Said Ibrahim, Ramzi Mohammed, Yassin Omar, and Hussain Osman—got minimum sentences of 40 years behind bars.
Asiedu reportedly agreed to deportation under the Facilitated Returns Scheme, a fast-track system to send foreign national prisoners home. Back in 2007, it was speculated he might serve only half the time of his partners—a prediction now fulfilled.
Backlash Over Early Release
The decision to free Asiedu early has sparked outrage. Critics question the safety of letting a convicted terrorist serve half his original sentence—even if he’s booted out of the UK.
