Nigerian national Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, commonly referred to as the “Underwear Bomber” or “Christmas Bomber,” was convicted of attempting to detonate explosives aboard a U.S.-bound flight on Christmas Day 2009.
Abdulmutallab, then 23, attempted to attack Northwest Airlines Flight 253, en route from Amsterdam to Detroit.
The device, concealed in his underwear, failed to fully detonate, sparing the 289 passengers and crew onboard.
The plot was claimed by Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), which reportedly trained and equipped Abdulmutallab. Investigations revealed links to Anwar al-Awlaki, although the cleric denied directly ordering the attack.
On February 16, 2012, a U.S. federal court convicted Abdulmutallab on eight counts, including the attempted use of a weapon of mass destruction and attempted murder. He received a sentence of four life terms plus 50 years without parole and is currently incarcerated at ADX Florence, a high-security federal prison in Colorado.
Abdulmutallab, the youngest of 16 children, was born into a wealthy Nigerian family. His father, Alhaji Umaru Mutallab, is a prominent banker and businessman, described as one of Africa’s wealthiest individuals.
Despite an affluent upbringing and a strong academic record, Abdulmutallab became increasingly radicalized during his teenage years.
He attended elite schools in Nigeria and abroad, including the British School of LomĂ© in Togo, and studied Arabic and Islamic studies in Yemen. Friends and acquaintances noted his growing religiosity and isolation during his youth, as well as his opposition to his father’s banking career due to Islamic prohibitions on charging interest.
This case remains one of the most notable failed terror plots in recent history, highlighting ongoing security challenges in global air travel.
Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, the so-called “underwear bomber,” was sentenced today to life in prison as a result of his guilty plea to all eight counts of a federal indictment charging him for his role in the attempted Christmas Day 2009 bombing of Northwest Airlines Flight 253.
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