The United States government has imposed fresh sanctions on eight Nigerians accused of links to terrorist organisations including Boko Haram and the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), as well as cybercrime-related offences.
The measures were detailed in a 3,000-page document released on February 10 by the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), an agency under the United States Department of the Treasury.
The publication, titled the “Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons List,” outlines individuals and entities whose assets are blocked under U.S. sanctions programmes, particularly those targeting terrorism financing and transnational crime.
The move follows growing pressure from some U.S. lawmakers calling for visa restrictions and asset freezes against individuals accused of extremist ties and religious persecution in Nigeria.
Nigerians Linked To The Sanctions
Among those named is Salih Yusuf Adamu, also known as Salihu Yusuf, born August 23, 1990. OFAC identified him as having connections to Boko Haram. He was among six Nigerians convicted in the United Arab Emirates in 2022 for establishing a Boko Haram cell that sought to raise and transfer approximately $782,000 from Dubai to Nigeria to support insurgent activities.
Also designated under terrorism-related sanctions is Babestan Oluwole Ademulero, born March 4, 1953, who appears under multiple aliases, including Wole A. Babestan and Olatunde Irewole Shofeso.
Other individuals listed for alleged links to Boko Haram or ISIL include:
- Abu Abdullah ibn Umar Al-Barnawi (also known as Ba Idrisa)
- Abu Musab Al-Barnawi (Habib Yusuf)
- Khaled (Khalid) Al-Barnawi
- Ibrahim Ali Alhassan
- Abu Bakr ibn Muhammad ibn Ali Al-Mainuki
Several of those sanctioned were reportedly born in Maiduguri and other parts of Borno State, a region heavily impacted by insurgency. Their designations fall under counterterrorism executive orders, including Executive Order 13224, which targets individuals and entities supporting terrorism.
In addition to terrorism-related cases, Nnamdi Orson Benson, born March 21, 1987, was listed under CYBER2 sanctions for cyber-related crimes. He is reported to hold a Nigerian passport.
Separately, U.S. lawmakers have recommended visa bans and asset freezes against former Kano State Governor Rabiu Kwankwaso, as well as the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria and Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore, over alleged extremist links. These recommendations were referenced in the OFAC documentation but remain subject to further U.S. government action.
The U.S. formally designated Boko Haram as a Foreign Terrorist Organization in 2013. According to the United States Department of State, the group has been responsible for thousands of deaths across northern Nigeria and the Lake Chad Basin since 2009.
The latest sanctions highlight Washington’s continued focus on disrupting terrorism financing networks, countering extremist activity, and tightening oversight of international financial flows linked to security threats.
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