The United States has imposed fresh sanctions on eight Nigerians over alleged links to terrorism and cybercrime, freezing their assets and properties under its counter-terrorism and security frameworks.
The action was disclosed in a document dated February 10 and released by the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), a unit of the US Treasury Department. The sanctions are contained in OFAC’s updated Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons List, which runs into more than 3,000 pages.
According to OFAC, the measures target individuals accused of having ties to Boko Haram, the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), as well as those linked to cyber-related offences and other security threats.
“This publication is designed as a reference tool providing notice of actions by OFAC with respect to Specially Designated Nationals and other persons whose property and interests are blocked,” the agency said, noting that the sanctions are aimed at disrupting terrorism financing and illicit financial networks.
Among those listed is Salih Yusuf Adamu, also known as Salihu Yusuf, who was identified as having links to Boko Haram. Yusuf was among six Nigerians convicted in 2022 in the United Arab Emirates for setting up a Boko Haram cell in Dubai and attempting to transfer about $782,000 to Nigeria to support insurgent activities.
Also sanctioned is Babestan Oluwole Ademulero, designated under terrorism-related sanctions, alongside Abu Abdullah ibn Umar Al-Barnawi (Ba Idrisa) and Abu Musab Al-Barnawi (Habib Yusuf), both described as senior figures linked to Boko Haram.
Another name on the list, Khaled (Khalid) Al-Barnawi, born in Maiduguri, Borno State, was cited under multiple aliases and linked to extremist activities. Ibrahim Ali Alhassan, reportedly residing in Abu Dhabi, and Abu Bakr ibn Muhammad ibn Ali Al-Mainuki, alleged to have ties to ISIL, were also designated.
OFAC further listed Nnamdi Orson Benson under its CYBER2 sanctions programme, linking him to cybercrime-related activities.
Under the sanctions, all assets and interests belonging to the named individuals within US jurisdiction are blocked, while US persons are generally prohibited from engaging in any financial transactions with them. The measures are enforced under Executive Order 13224, which targets terrorism-related activities.
The announcement comes amid heightened scrutiny of Nigeria by US lawmakers. In recent weeks, members of the US Congress recommended visa bans and asset freezes against individuals and groups accused of religious freedom violations in Nigeria, including former Kano State governor Rabiu Kwankwaso and cattle breeders’ groups linked to security concerns.
The United States designated Boko Haram a foreign terrorist organisation in 2013, citing its role in thousands of deaths across Nigeria and the Lake Chad Basin since 2009.
In October 2025, US President Donald Trump announced Nigeria’s re-inclusion on the US State Department’s Countries of Particular Concern list over alleged religious freedom violations. Nigeria had previously been placed on the list in 2020 before being removed in 2021 under former President Joe Biden.
The latest sanctions underscore Washington’s continued focus on countering terrorism financing, extremist networks and cyber threats with international reach.
