▁another ▁said ▁that ▁Ab edi ▁was ▁a ▁" regular ▁kid ▁who ▁went ▁out ▁and ▁d rank " ▁until ▁about ▁ 2 0 1 6 . ▁Ab edi ▁was ▁also ▁known ▁to ▁have ▁used ▁can nab is . ▁ ▁He ▁en rolled ▁at ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁S alf ord ▁in ▁September ▁ 2 0 1 4 , ▁where ▁he ▁studied ▁business ▁administration , ▁before ▁dro pping ▁out ▁to ▁work ▁in ▁a ▁b ak ery . ▁Manchester ▁police ▁believe ▁Ab edi ▁used ▁student ▁lo ans ▁to ▁fin ance ▁the ▁plot , ▁including ▁travel ▁over se as ▁to ▁learn ▁bomb - making . ▁The ▁Guardian ▁reported ▁that ▁despite ▁dro pping ▁out ▁from ▁further ▁education , ▁he ▁continued ▁to ▁receive ▁student ▁loan ▁fund ing ▁as ▁recently ▁as ▁April ▁ 2 0 1 7 . ▁Ab edi ▁returned ▁to ▁Manchester ▁on ▁ 1 8 ▁May ▁after ▁a ▁trip ▁to ▁Lib ya ▁and ▁bought ▁bomb - making ▁material , ▁apparently ▁construct ing ▁the ▁ac et one ▁per ox ide - based ▁bomb ▁by ▁himself . ▁It ▁is ▁known ▁that ▁many ▁members ▁of ▁the ▁IS IS ▁Batt ar ▁brig ade ▁trained ▁people ▁in ▁bomb - making ▁in ▁Lib ya . ▁ ▁He ▁was ▁known ▁to ▁British ▁security ▁services ▁and ▁police ▁but ▁was ▁not ▁regarded ▁as ▁a ▁high ▁risk , ▁having ▁been ▁linked ▁to ▁pet ty ▁crime ▁but ▁never ▁flag ged ▁up ▁for ▁radical ▁views . ▁A ▁community ▁worker ▁told ▁the ▁BBC ▁he ▁had ▁called ▁a ▁hot line ▁five ▁years ▁before ▁the ▁bomb ing ▁to ▁warn ▁police ▁about ▁Ab edi '