The United States government has imposed sanctions on eight Nigerians accused of ties to extremist groups, including Boko Haram and Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), freezing any assets and property linked to them within US jurisdiction.
The action was detailed in a 3,000-page publication dated February 10 by the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), an arm of the United States Department of the Treasury. The document, sighted on Monday, also listed individuals sanctioned for cybercrime and other security-related offences.
The move comes amid heightened scrutiny from US lawmakers, who recently recommended visa restrictions and asset freezes against certain Nigerian figures and organisations over alleged violations of religious freedom and persecution of Christians. Among those named in congressional recommendations were former Kano State governor Rabiu Kwankwaso, the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria, and Miyetti Allah Kautal.
OFAC’s updated list, titled “Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons List,” identifies individuals and entities across various nationalities whose assets have been frozen. The agency said the publication serves as an official notice of sanctions actions and a compliance reference for the public.
“This publication of Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control is designed as a reference tool providing actual notice of actions by OFAC with respect to Specially Designated Nationals and other persons (which term includes both individuals and entities) whose property is blocked, to assist the public in complying with the various sanctions programmes administered by OFAC,” the agency said as reported by The PUNCH.
Among the Nigerians listed is Salih Yusuf Adamu, also known as Salihu Yusuf, born August 23, 1990. He was identified as having connections to Boko Haram and holding a Nigerian passport. Yusuf was previously among six Nigerians convicted in 2022 in the United Arab Emirates for establishing a Boko Haram-linked cell that sought to channel $782,000 from Dubai to Nigeria.
Babestan Oluwole Ademulero, born March 4, 1953, was designated under terrorism-related sanctions and appeared under multiple aliases, including Wole A. Babestan and Olatunde Irewole Shofeso.
Abu Abdullah ibn Umar Al-Barnawi, also called Ba Idrisa, was listed under terrorism sanctions. Believed to have been born between 1989 and 1994 in Maiduguri, Borno State, he was flagged for extremist links.
Abu Musab Al-Barnawi, also known as Habib Yusuf and identified as a Boko Haram leader, was sanctioned under counter-terrorism provisions, with reported birth years ranging from 1990 to 1995.
Khaled, or Khalid, Al-Barnawi—born in 1976 in Maiduguri—was also named. His entry appeared twice in the document, and he was listed under several aliases, including Abu Hafsat and Mohammed Usman.
Ibrahim Ali Alhassan, born January 31, 1981, and reportedly resident in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, was cited for alleged Boko Haram links.
Abu Bakr ibn Muhammad ibn Ali Al-Mainuki, also known as Abu-Bilal Al-Minuki, born in 1982 in Mainok, Borno State, was identified as having ties to ISIL.
Nnamdi Orson Benson, born March 21, 1987, was sanctioned under cyber-related authorities (CYBER2) and was reported to hold a Nigerian passport.
The Treasury said the sanctions are part of ongoing efforts to disrupt terrorism financing networks and counter cyber threats. Under the measures, all property and interests in property of the designated individuals within the United States are blocked, and US persons are generally barred from engaging in transactions with them.
Nigerians subject to these measures face asset freezes pursuant to Executive Order 13224, a key counterterrorism authority.
The US government designated Boko Haram a Foreign Terrorist Organisation in 2013. According to the US State Department, the group has carried out numerous attacks across northern and northeastern Nigeria and within the Lake Chad Basin, including parts of Cameroon, Chad and Niger, resulting in thousands of deaths since 2009.
The US Secretary of State determines which countries have repeatedly supported acts of international terrorism under statutes including Section 1754(c) of the National Defence Authorisation Act for Fiscal Year 2019, Section 40 of the Arms Export Control Act, and Section 620A of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961.
In October 2025, US President Donald Trump announced that Nigeria would be added again to the State Department’s list of “Countries of Particular Concern,” alleging that Christians were being persecuted and killed by Muslims. Nigeria had first been designated under Trump in 2020 but was later removed from the list by his successor, Joe Biden, shortly after he assumed office.
