Omar Nmichi

Omar Nmichi was born in Fez, Morocco, in 1989 and arrived in Italy in the early 2000s, settling in Sesto San Giovanni, in the Milan metropolitan area. For several years, he appeared to be relatively well integrated into Italian society. He spoke Italian fluently, cohabited with an Italian partner, frequented local social centers (such as the Centro Sociale Leoncavallo), and worked intermittently in the construction sector. At the same time, however, he was also involved in drug trafficking activities.
Between 2015 and 2016, his profile underwent a rapid transformation. During this period, Nmichi began to disseminate Islamic State (IS) propaganda on social media platforms, primarily Facebook. What initially appeared as passive consumption of extremist material soon evolved into active participation in the online promotion of the Caliphate’s narrative. He shared combat footage, ideological material, and official speeches by IS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, contributing to the circulation of content explicitly linked to violent extremism. This shift occurred at a time when the Islamic State was at the peak of its influence in Europe, and its propaganda apparatus was particularly effective in attracting sympathizers and potential recruits. Nmichi’s radicalization was not only influenced by the broader appeal of IS messaging but was also facilitated by direct interactions with already radicalized individuals.
Nmichi was identified during the Da’Wa operation conducted by the Italian Postal Police. The investigation initially began with the monitoring of Mansouri Saber’s profile, who had been expelled from Italy in the spring of 2015 on terrorism-related grounds. Through his digital network, authorities were able to identify additional profiles, including those of Imed Labid, also deported from Italy for terrorism-related activities, and El Hammami Ghassene. Both were particularly active in online proselytism and in the dissemination of Islamic State propaganda. Ghassene was especially prolific in his online activity. Since before 2015, he had published numerous posts defending and glorifying the actions and political project of the Islamic State, portraying it as the only legitimate interpreter of the Qur’an. His content expressed pride, full identification with the organization, and explicit endorsement of violence against non-believers.
Much of this material alternated between public and private postings and included both indoctrination-oriented content, such as guidance on how to behave as a “good Muslim”, and explicit apologetic narratives. As part of Ghassene’s online circle, Nmichi was a constant recipient of these messages. He did not limit himself to passively endorsing them but actively reshared the posts. On several occasions, he also published content independently, reproducing similar themes and ideological messages.
From this network, investigators traced the profile of Nmichi Omar. He was connected to Ghassene not only through social media interactions and shared ideological references to the Islamic State but also through a personal friendship.
The investigation culminated in March 2017, when Nmichi was arrested in Sesto San Giovanni. In 2018, he was convicted of incitement to commit terrorism and apology for terrorism and sentenced to two years of imprisonment. Upon completion of his sentence, a deportation order was issued and he was repatriated to his country of origin.
Despite the evidence suggesting ideological alignment with the principles of the Islamic State, Nmichi consistently denied any commitment to extremist ideology. He claimed that his online activity was driven by curiosity and an exploratory interest rather than by political or religious conviction. He also emphasized his level of integration into Italian society, stating that he had always sought employment and that his presence in social centers was not related to proselytism but simply to spending time with friends.