US Freezes Assets of Eight Nigerians Over Boko Haram, ISIL Links
The United States government has frozen the assets and properties of eight Nigerians accused of having links to terrorist groups including Boko Haram and the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL).
The action was detailed in a 3,000-page document dated February 10, released by the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), an arm of the United States Department of the Treasury.
The publication, titled Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons List, outlines individuals and entities whose assets are blocked under US sanctions programmes.
According to OFAC, the sanctions are part of Washington’s broader counter-terrorism strategy aimed at disrupting terrorism financing and restricting financial dealings with designated persons. The agency said the list serves as a compliance tool to notify the public of individuals and entities whose property and interests are blocked.
Among the Nigerians named is Salih Yusuf Adamu, also known as Salihu Yusuf, who was previously convicted in the United Arab Emirates in 2022 for helping to establish a Boko Haram cell that attempted to transfer $782,000 from Dubai to Nigeria to fund insurgent activities.
Babestan Oluwole Ademulero, born in 1953, was designated under terrorism sanctions and listed under multiple aliases.
Also named were Abu Abdullah ibn Umar Al-Barnawi (Ba Idrisa), reportedly born in Maiduguri, Borno State, and flagged under terrorism-related sanctions.
Abu Musab Al-Barnawi (Habib Yusuf), identified as a Boko Haram leader.
Khaled (Khalid) Al-Barnawi, linked to Boko Haram and listed under several aliases.
Ibrahim Ali Alhassan, reportedly residing in Abu Dhabi and linked to Boko Haram.
Abu Bakr ibn Muhammad ibn Ali Al-Mainuki (Abu-Bilal Al-Minuki), identified as having ties to ISIL.
Nnamdi Orson Benson, designated under cybercrime-related sanctions (CYBER2).
Under the sanctions, all property and interests belonging to the listed individuals within US jurisdiction are blocked. US persons are generally prohibited from engaging in transactions with them. The measures were enforced under Executive Order 13224, which targets terrorists and those providing support to terrorist activities.
The development follows recent recommendations by the United States Congress urging visa bans and asset freezes on individuals and groups accused of religious persecution in Nigeria.
Those reportedly recommended include former Kano State Governor Rabiu Kwankwaso, as well as the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria and Miyetti Allah Kautal.
In October 2025, US President Donald Trump announced that Nigeria would again be placed on the US State Department’s religious freedom watchlist as a “Country of Particular Concern,” citing alleged persecution of Christians. Nigeria had previously been designated under Trump in 2020 before being removed from the list by his successor, Joe Biden.
The United States designated Boko Haram as a Foreign Terrorist Organisation in 2013. The group has been responsible for thousands of deaths across northern Nigeria and the Lake Chad Basin since 2009.
The latest sanctions underscore Washington’s sustained focus on countering terrorism financing, violent extremism, and cyber-related threats linked to Nigeria and the wider region. Read More
