Vanessa Atim, a Ugandan-born businesswoman based in the UK, along with her mother Stella Oyella, has been apprehended in the United Kingdom on charges of funding a terrorist relative in Syria.
According to reports from The Telegraph, Atim and Oyella orchestrated the transfer of funds through Uganda and the Middle East to provide financial support to a relative who joined the Islamic State in 2014.
Stella Oyella, aged 53 (born on April 6, 1970), and Vanessa Atim, aged 32 (born on July 11, 1991), residents of East London, arranged for over £1,800 to be sent to Joseph Ogaba, who left the UK in 2014 to join Daesh.
In July 2022, Syrian authorities announced Ogaba’s death in prison, subsequent to his capture by Syrian Defence Forces.
Investigators were able to establish that Oyella and Atim were aware the funds were facilitating Ogaba’s terrorist activities. The evidence revealed their elaborate attempts to conceal the money trail by routing it through contacts in Uganda and the Middle East.
Oyella and Atim were found guilty of terrorist fundraising following a comprehensive investigation led by the Metropolitan Police’s Counter Terrorism Command, with assistance from Syrian authorities.
On Monday, March 18, Oyella was sentenced to three years’ imprisonment, while Atim received a sentence of three years and nine months.
Commander Dominic Murphy, who heads the Met’s Counter Terrorism Command, revealed that Oyella and Atim meticulously organized and then distanced themselves from the money transfers to Ogaba. Their actions prolonged his association with Daesh, despite knowing his involvement in terrorist activities.
“This case underscores our collaboration with international partners to apprehend individuals supporting terrorist endeavors, irrespective of the passage of time,” stated Commander Murphy.
Joseph Ogaba departed his residence in North London in September 2014, traveling to Syria via Germany and Turkey. As a Muslim convert, Ogaba left a note for his family indicating his intent to join Daesh.
Ogaba is the brother of Stella Oyella and the nephew of Vanessa Atim.
