A Maiduguri based businessman, Umar Bashir, has been sentenced to 20 years imprisonment without an option of fine for terrorism financing.
Bashir, who described himself as a major dealer in oil perfumes and a Point of Sale operator, was found guilty of using his bank account with United Bank for Africa to facilitate financial transactions for members of Boko Haram.
According to court proceedings, the convict used account number 2213629628 to receive N5 million from a Boko Haram member identified as Ibrahim Modu. He subsequently transferred the funds into an account with Access Bank belonging to the terrorist.
Bashir admitted that the offence was committed in Maiduguri in 2025 and disclosed that he earned a commission of N20,000 from the transaction.
Following his arraignment by the Federal Government on Monday, Bashir pleaded guilty to the charges.
Based on his guilty plea and confessional statement, Justice Binta Fatimah Nyako of the Federal High Court convicted him and sentenced him to 20 years imprisonment without an option of fine.
Justice Nyako further ruled that the sentence would take effect from 2025, the year Bashir was arrested and detained.
The judge rejected the convict’s plea for leniency, stating that the law must take its full course.
