Guilty plea in Nigerian's al-Qaida terror case

An accused al-Qaida operative from Nigeria pleaded guilty Tuesday in federal court in Brooklyn to providing material support to a foreign terrorist organization, the U.S. attorney's office said.

Lawal Olanyi Babafemi, 33, an English-speaker, was accused of traveling to Yemen in 2010 and 2011 to train and assist in the publication of al-Qaida's magazine Inspire, and of receiving $9,000 to try to recruit other Nigerians who speak English.

Babafemi, who prosecutors say worked in the wing of al-Qaida headed by now-deceased leader Anwar al Awlaki, was extradited from Nigeria last year. He faces up to 30 years in prison.