A Maiduguri-based businessman, Umar Bashir, has been sentenced to 20 years imprisonment without an option of fine after being convicted of terrorism financing.

Bashir, who claimed to deal in oil perfumes and operate a Point of Sale (PoS) business, was found guilty of using his bank account to process financial transactions for members of the Boko Haram sect.

He was arraigned on Monday before Justice Binta Fatimah Nyako of the Federal High Court on charges linked to terrorism financing by the Federal Government.

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According to the prosecution, Bashir used his United Bank for Africa account number 2213629628 to receive and transfer funds on behalf of Boko Haram members.

He was specifically found to have received ₦5 million from a Boko Haram member identified as Ibrahim Modu, which he later transferred to a designated Access Bank account.

The convict admitted that the transaction took place in Maiduguri in 2025 and further confessed to receiving ₦20,000 as commission for facilitating the transfer.

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Upon arraignment, Bashir pleaded guilty to the charge. Relying on his guilty plea and confessional statement, Justice Nyako convicted him and sentenced him to 20 years imprisonment without an option of fine.

The court ordered that the sentence should take effect from 2025, the year he was arrested and detained. Justice Nyako also rejected his plea for leniency, holding that terrorism-related offences must be met with strict penalties under the law.