Zubair al-Muhajir traveled from London to join the group in 2006. He rose through the ranks and ultimately became a member of al-Shababβs Shura Council of religious scholars.
Al-Muhajir, originally from Ivory Coast, told the VOA Somali program Investigative Dossier that he fell out with the group in 2013 when its Amniyat force arrested him and imprisoned him for three years.
"I defected because al-Shabab, they are lying to the Muslims and to the world,β he said. βThey are claiming to implement the Sharia (Islamic law) which is not true because I know from incidents where they went against the Sharia.β
He says the group uses Sharia just to βbetray the people, fool them, and lie to them.β
Al-Muhajir, originally from Ivory Coast, told the VOA Somali program Investigative Dossier that he fell out with the group in 2013 when its Amniyat force arrested him and imprisoned him for three years.
"I defected because al-Shabab, they are lying to the Muslims and to the world,β he said. βThey are claiming to implement the Sharia (Islamic law) which is not true because I know from incidents where they went against the Sharia.β
He says the group uses Sharia just to βbetray the people, fool them, and lie to them.β