The United States government has announced financial sanctions against eight Nigerian nationals over alleged connections to extremist groups and other security-related activities.
The action was taken by the U.S. Department of the Treasury through its Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC). In a document released over the weekend, OFAC included the eight Nigerians in its updated Specially Designated Nationals (SDN) list, which identifies individuals and entities subject to U.S. sanctions.
According to OFAC, individuals placed on the SDN list have any property or financial interests within U.S. jurisdiction blocked. U.S. citizens and institutions are also generally prohibited from engaging in transactions with them.
Among those listed is Salih Yusuf Adamu, also known as Salihu Yusuf, born August 23, 1990. U.S. authorities allege he has links to Boko Haram and referenced a prior conviction in the United Arab Emirates in connection with a 2022 case involving the attempted transfer of funds reportedly intended for insurgent groups in Nigeria.
Also included in the sanctions list is Babestan Oluwole Ademulero, born March 4, 1953, whose name appears alongside multiple aliases in the OFAC document.
Others designated include Abu Abdullah ibn Umar Al-Barnawi, also known as Ba Idrisa; Abu Musab Al-Barnawi, also known as Habib Yusuf; and Khaled Al-Barnawi, who appears under several alternative spellings and aliases. U.S. authorities describe them as having alleged ties to Boko Haram.
Ibrahim Ali Alhassan, born January 31, 1981, and reportedly residing in Abu Dhabi, was also listed over alleged connections to networks linked to Boko Haram.
Another individual, Abu Bakr ibn Muhammad Al-Mainuki, also known as Abu-Bilal Al-Minuki, was designated for alleged links to the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL).
The eighth individual, Nnamdi Orson Benson, born March 21, 1987, was sanctioned under U.S. provisions relating to alleged cybercrime and related security concerns.
OFAC stated that the designations were carried out pursuant to Executive Order 13224, a counterterrorism authority that targets individuals and networks suspected of supporting terrorism. The order enables the U.S. government to disrupt financial and logistical networks believed to aid extremist activities.
Boko Haram was designated a Foreign Terrorist Organization by the United States in 2013 following years of violent attacks in northern Nigeria and the Lake Chad Basin region.
Under the sanctions framework, the named individuals are subject to asset freezes within U.S. jurisdiction, and U.S. persons are generally barred from conducting business dealings with them.
The latest measures underscore ongoing U.S. efforts to counter terrorism financing, cyber-enabled threats, and related security risks in West Africa and beyond.
