Inquiry into death of Jalal Uddin concludes 'serious blunder' led to missed opportunities to stop killers
The report concludes a “serious blunder” led to two missed opportunities to detect or disrupt the activities of Mr Uddin’s killers before his death
The Chairman of the Inquiry into the death of Jalal Uddin, His Honour Thomas Teague KC, has today (10 July 2025) published and laid before Parliament his report into his murder, with an accompanying statement.
The report concludes that a “serious blunder” led to two missed opportunities to detect or disrupt the activities of Mr Uddin’s killers before his death.
Jalal Uddin was a "kind, courteous and scholarly man", a teacher of Islam whose personal integrity inspired the esteem of many fellow Muslims.
The report states that he was killed in an act of terrorism in Rochdale on 18 February 2016 by Mohammed Kadir and Mohammed Syeedy, two violent extremists who embraced the ideology of the Islamic State.
The reason the two men killed Mr Uddin was that he practised a form of healing, known as ruqyah, which they regarded as blasphemous. They wished to convey to others a strong message that such practices would not be tolerated.
Kadir fled from the UK before he could be arrested, most probably to join the forces of Islamic State in Syria. His whereabouts – assuming he is still alive – remain unknown. Syeedy was convicted of Mr Uddin’s murder in September 2016 and is now serving a sentence of life imprisonment.
A further man, Mohammed Syadul Hussain, was convicted in April 2017 of assisting an offender.
The purpose of the Inquiry has been to identify the wider circumstances leading to Mr Uddin’s death and was established to allow for the consideration of sensitive material relating to previous investigations into those responsible for Mr Uddin's murder.
During its open and closed evidential hearings, which were completed in September last year, the Inquiry considered a very large body of witness statements and other documentary material and received oral evidence from a significant number of witnesses.
The need to avoid compromising national security means that the Inquiry has had to cover the totality of evidence provided in a separate closed report.
The report highlights that Mohammed Kadir was known to Counter Terrorism Police at the time of Mr Uddin’s murder and by the end of October 2015 had been identified as a person of high risk and significant concern.
Although the need for a targeted police investigation into his activities had been recognised by 10 December 2015, the steps necessary to set up such an investigation, including the appointment of a Senior Investigating Officer to head it, were not taken.
The report states that a potential appointee was identified within North West Counter Terrorism Unit (NWCTU), however for reasons beyond the control of that officer and of NWCTU, the steps necessary to place him in a position to discharge the duties of an SIO were not taken prior to the murder of Jalal Uddin.
In a written statement accompanying the report, His Honour Thomas Teague KC, Chairman of the Inquiry into the death of Jalal Uddin, says: “In summary, my conclusion is that this failure, the detailed consequences of which I have traced in my closed report, amounted to a serious blunder that led to the loss of two opportunities to detect or disrupt the activities of Kadir and Syeedy before Mr Uddin was murdered.
"I should like to thank all those who have helped the Inquiry to fulfil its terms of reference. Above all, I extend my condolences to Mr Uddin’s family and friends.”