POS operator jailed for 20 years over N5 million Boko Haram transaction

The Federal High Court in Abuja has sentenced Maiduguri-based convenience store operator Umar Bashir to 20 years in prison without the possibility of fine for financing terrorism linked to the Boko Haram insurgency.

The trial judge, Binta Nyako, delivered the verdict on Monday after the defendant pleaded guilty to the charge brought against him by the federal government.

Bashir, who described himself as a perfume trader and POS operator, admitted to facilitating a $5 million transaction for a suspected member of the terror group, identified as Ibrahim Modu, in 2025.

According to the court case, the convict received the funds through his United Bank for Africa account and later transferred the same amount to an Access Bank account belonging to the terrorist suspect.

He told the court that he earned a commission of N20,000 for the transaction.

Based on his confessional statement and his guilty plea, Judge Nyako found him guilty and sentenced him accordingly.

The judge ruled that the prison sentence will come into force from 2025, the date on which the convict will have been arrested and placed in pre-trial detention.

He also rejected his request for clemency, stressing that crimes bordering on terrorist financing represent serious threats to national security and must be punished with severe sanctions.

The conviction highlights ongoing efforts by authorities to crack down on financial networks supporting the insurgency in the northeast, particularly activities linked to Boko Haram.

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