The United States has frozen the assets and properties of eight Nigerians accused of having links to extremist groups including Boko Haram and Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL).
The action was disclosed in a February 10 publication by the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), contained in its updated Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons List, a reference document identifying individuals and entities subject to US sanctions.
OFAC explained that the list serves as formal notice of sanctions imposed on persons whose property and financial interests under US jurisdiction are blocked, and with whom US citizens and institutions are generally prohibited from conducting transactions.
Among those designated is Salih Yusuf Adamu, also known as Salihu Yusuf, who was previously convicted in the United Arab Emirates alongside other Nigerians in 2022 for attempting to transfer about $782,000 from Dubai to Nigeria to support insurgent activities.
Other individuals listed include Babestan Oluwole Ademulero, identified under multiple aliases; Abu Abdullah ibn Umar Al-Barnawi, reported to have been born in Maiduguri; Abu Musab Al-Barnawi, described as a Boko Haram leader; Khaled Al-Barnawi, also linked to the group; and Ibrahim Ali Alhassan, said to reside in Abu Dhabi.
Also sanctioned are Abu Bakr ibn Muhammad ibn Ali Al-Mainuki, reportedly tied to ISIL operations, and Nnamdi Orson Benson, who was designated under cybercrime-related sanctions.
Under the sanctions, any property or financial interests belonging to the listed individuals within US jurisdiction are frozen, while American persons and organisations are barred from engaging in transactions with them.
The move comes amid broader US counter-terrorism financing efforts and follows previous recommendations by American lawmakers for visa restrictions and asset freezes targeting individuals and groups accused of security and religious-freedom violations in Nigeria.
Washington formally designated Boko Haram a Foreign Terrorist Organisation in 2013, citing its role in numerous deadly attacks across Nigeria and the Lake Chad Basin.