LONDON, United Kingdom—A London-educated Nigerian man charged with attempting to blow up a United States airliner was barred from returning to Britain earlier this year, a government source confirmed Saturday.

Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, 23, is believed to have studied mechanical engineering at University College London (UCL) between 2005 and 2008 and, according to a newspaper report, tried to return for another course in May.

The Sunday Times report, confirmed to AFP by a government source, said the UK Border Agency had rejected Abdulmutallab's request for a visa for the new six-month course at a different college because the establishment concerned was considered bogus.

"He was refused entry on grounds that he was applying to study at an educational establishment that we didn’t consider to be genuine," an unnamed government official told the newspaper.

Abdulmutallab, the son of a wealthy Nigerian businessman, was due to appear in court later Saturday in the United States on charges that he tried to blow up a Northwest Airlines plane with 290 people on board as it began its final descent on Friday into Detroit.