Court documents obtained by Sunday PUNCH show that Umar, through his legal representatives, Don Akaegbu & Company, submitted a motion dated May 13, 2026, requesting an extension of time to challenge the judgment delivered on December 20, 2013, by Justice A.F.A. Ademola of the Federal High Court, Abuja.

In his application, Umar insists that his conviction and life imprisonment were wrongful, and is asking the appellate court for permission to file his appeal out of time, with the already filed notice to be deemed properly submitted and served.

He was originally convicted on a two-count charge involving alleged facilitation of terrorist activities and failure to disclose information related to a terrorist incident.

His lawyers argued that the delay in filing the appeal was due to circumstances beyond his control, including repeated transfers between custodial facilities across different states, which made access to legal representation difficult.

They also claimed that two lawyers previously handling his case died before the appeal process could be completed.

Part of the filing stated that Umar has remained in continuous incarceration since his conviction in 2013 and was moved across several correctional centres, further disrupting communication with his family and legal team.

An affidavit deposed by his nephew, Lawal Suleiman, said the family only recently located him in March 2026 at the Maximum Security Custodial Centre in Kirikiri, Lagos, after years of unsuccessful search.

The family further alleged that his health condition has worsened significantly during his time in custody.

Umar’s legal team is also challenging the legal basis of the conviction, arguing that the trial court wrongly relied on the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) Act instead of the Terrorism (Prevention) Act, 2011.

They maintained that the EFCC law is primarily intended for financial crimes and should not have been used in a terrorism-related judgment.

The appeal also disputes the admissibility of Umar’s confessional statement, marked Exhibit KUKS1, alleging it was not voluntarily made but written by an investigating officer in a question-and-answer format.

The defence further argued that Umar was not convicted for directly participating in the 2011 Christmas Day bombing of St. Theresa Catholic Church in Madalla, Niger State, but rather for allegedly having prior knowledge of the attack and failing to report it.

Despite his imprisonment, Umar reportedly earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology from the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN).

He is now asking the Court of Appeal to set aside the earlier judgment and discharge and acquit him of all charges.