The United States government has frozen the assets and properties of eight Nigerians accused of having links to Boko Haram and the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), according to a newly released sanctions document by the US Treasury Department.
The action was detailed in a 3,000-page publication dated February 10 by the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC). The document, titled the “Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons List,” outlines individuals and entities across the world whose assets have been blocked under various US sanctions programmes, including counter-terrorism and cybersecurity measures.
The OFAC list serves as an official notice that the property and interests of those named are frozen within US jurisdiction, and that US persons are generally prohibited from engaging in financial transactions or dealings with them. The agency stated that the publication is intended to assist the public in complying with sanctions regulations and to provide transparency regarding enforcement actions.
“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, whose property is blocked, to assist the public in complying with the various sanctions programmes administered by OFAC,” the agency said.
Among those listed is Salih Yusuf Adamu, also known as Salihu Yusuf, born August 23, 1990, in Nigeria. He was identified as having ties to Boko Haram and was reported to hold a Nigerian passport. Yusuf was previously among six Nigerians convicted in 2022 in the United Arab Emirates for establishing a Boko Haram-linked cell in Dubai to raise funds for insurgent activities in Nigeria. The group was found guilty of attempting to channel approximately $782,000 from Dubai to Nigeria.
Also designated under terrorism-related sanctions is Babestan Oluwole Ademulero, born March 4, 1953, in Nigeria. The document lists multiple aliases associated with him, including Wole A. Babestan and Olatunde Irewole Shofeso. He was designated under Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT) provisions.
Another individual named is Abu Abdullah ibn Umar Al-Barnawi, also known as Ba Idrisa. He was reportedly born between 1989 and 1994 in Maiduguri, Borno State, and was flagged under terrorism-related sanctions. The listing associates him with Boko Haram-linked activities.
Abu Musab Al-Barnawi, also referred to as Habib Yusuf, was also included in the document. His year of birth is listed between 1990 and 1995. US authorities identified him as a Boko Haram leader and sanctioned him under counter-terrorism provisions.
Khaled, also spelled Khalid, Al-Barnawi was listed twice in the publication. Born in 1976 in Maiduguri, Nigeria, he was associated with Boko Haram and named under several aliases, including Abu Hafsat and Mohammed Usman.
Ibrahim Ali Alhassan, born January 31, 1981, in Nigeria, was also designated. He was reported to hold a Nigerian passport and to reside in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. The document links him to Boko Haram activities.
Abu Bakr ibn Muhammad ibn Ali Al-Mainuki, also known as Abu-Bilal Al-Minuki, was born in 1982 in Mainok, Borno State. He was identified as having ties to ISIL and was sanctioned under terrorism-related authorities.
In addition to those linked to insurgent groups, the document listed Nnamdi Orson Benson, born March 21, 1987, in Nigeria, under CYBER2 sanctions. The CYBER2 designation is associated with cyber-enabled malicious activities and threats to US national security. Benson was reported to hold a Nigerian passport.
The sanctions were issued pursuant to Executive Order 13224 and related counter-terrorism authorities. Under these measures, any property or interests in property of the designated individuals that are subject to US jurisdiction are blocked. Financial institutions and individuals within the United States are prohibited from conducting transactions with the listed persons unless authorised by OFAC.
The development underscores Washington’s continued focus on disrupting terrorism financing networks and countering transnational security threats, including cybercrime.
The sanctions announcement follows recent developments in US legislative circles. Lawmakers in the US Congress had recently recommended visa bans and asset freezes against individuals and organisations accused of violations of religious freedom and persecution of Christians in Nigeria. Among those reportedly recommended were former Kano State Governor Rabiu Kwankwaso and the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria, as well as Miyetti Allah Kautal. Those recommendations, however, are separate from the OFAC designations and do not automatically result in sanctions unless acted upon by the executive branch.
The United States formally designated Boko Haram as a Foreign Terrorist Organization in 2013. According to the US State Department, the group has carried out numerous attacks in northern and northeastern Nigeria, as well as in parts of the Lake Chad Basin, including Cameroon, Chad and Niger. The insurgency, which began in 2009, has led to tens of thousands of deaths and the displacement of millions.
Under US law, the Secretary of State determines which countries have repeatedly provided support for acts of international terrorism. Such designations may be made under Section 1754(c) of the National Defense Authorization 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 again be placed on the US Department of State’s list of Countries of Particular Concern over issues of religious freedom. Nigeria had first been designated under that category in 2020 during Trump’s earlier administration but was later removed from the list by President Joe Biden.
The latest OFAC sanctions reflect ongoing US counter-terrorism efforts and signal sustained scrutiny of individuals and networks suspected of supporting extremist groups or engaging in cyber-enabled threats.
