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), intensifying Washington’s counter-terrorism financing efforts.
The action was contained in a February 10 document released by the US Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), detailing updates to its “Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons List.”
The extensive publication outlines individuals and entities whose assets are blocked under various US sanctions programmes.
According to OFAC, the publication serves as formal notice of actions taken against individuals and organisations designated under counter-terrorism and other security-related sanctions frameworks.
Among the Nigerians listed is Salih Yusuf Adamu, also known as Salihu Yusuf, born August 23, 1990.
He was identified as having ties to Boko Haram and was previously convicted in the United Arab Emirates in 2022 alongside five others for attempting to raise and transfer funds, reportedly $782,000, from Dubai to insurgents in Nigeria.
Also designated under terrorism-related sanctions is Abu Abdullah ibn Umar Al-Barnawi, reportedly born between 1989 and 1994 in Maiduguri, Borno State.
Abu Musab Al-Barnawi, identified as a Boko Haram leader and also known as Habib Yusuf, was similarly listed under terrorism provisions.
Khaled (or Khalid) Al-Barnawi, born in 1976 in Maiduguri and linked to Boko Haram, appeared under multiple aliases.
Ibrahim Ali Alhassan, born January 31, 1981, and reported to reside in Abu Dhabi, was also sanctioned over alleged ties to the group.
Abu Bakr ibn Muhammad ibn Ali Al-Mainuki, born in 1982 in Mainok, Borno State, was identified as having links to ISIL.
Babestan Oluwole Ademulero, born March 4, 1953, was designated under counter-terrorism sanctions and appeared under multiple aliases.
READ ALSO: US Sanctions Bill: Miyetti Allah Rejects Terror Links, Urges Diplomatic Intervention
Nnamdi Orson Benson, born March 21, 1987, was listed under cyber-related sanctions (CYBER2), indicating alleged involvement in cybercrime activities.
Under Executive Order 13224, all property and interests of designated individuals within US jurisdiction are blocked, and US persons are generally prohibited from engaging in transactions with them.
The sanctions come amid broader political developments in Washington. In recent weeks, some US lawmakers recommended visa bans and asset freezes on certain Nigerian individuals and groups over alleged violations of religious freedom.
Separately, former US President Donald Trump announced in October 2025 that Nigeria would again be placed on the State Department’s “Countries of Particular Concern” watchlist, citing allegations of religious persecution, a designation previously applied in 2020 but later reversed under former President Joe Biden.
The United States formally designated Boko Haram as a Foreign Terrorist Organisation in 2013.
The group has been responsible for thousands of deaths across Nigeria and the Lake Chad Basin since 2009, according to the US State Department.
The latest OFAC update underscores Washington’s continued emphasis on disrupting terrorism financing networks and curbing cyber-related security threats with international dimensions.