U.S. Freezes Assets of Eight Nigerians Over Alleged Terror Links

The United States has imposed financial sanctions on eight Nigerian nationals over alleged ties to extremist networks, including Boko Haram and Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, as part of its global counter-terrorism measures.

The action was disclosed in a February 10 update issued by the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), which oversees sanctions targeting terrorism financing, cybercrime, and threats to U.S. national security. Under the designation, all property and financial interests belonging to the listed individuals within U.S. jurisdiction are blocked, and American citizens or companies are prohibited from conducting transactions with them.

Among those sanctioned is Salih Yusuf Adamu, also known as Salihu Yusuf, whom U.S. authorities linked to alleged Boko Haram financing activities. He was previously convicted in the United Arab Emirates in 2022 alongside five others for attempting to transfer $782,000 from Dubai to Nigeria to support insurgent operations.

Another designee, Babestan Oluwole Ademulero, was listed under counter-terrorism sanctions and identified as operating under multiple aliases.

Others named include Abu Abdullah ibn Umar Al-Barnawi, Abu Musab Al-Barnawi, Khaled Al-Barnawi, Ibrahim Ali Alhassan, and Abu Bakr ibn Muhammad ibn Ali Al-Mainuki. Several were reportedly born in Maiduguri and other parts of Borno State, widely regarded as the epicentre of Boko Haram’s insurgency.

In a separate designation, Nnamdi Orson Benson was sanctioned under U.S. cyber-related restrictions.

The sanctions follow recommendations from U.S. congressional bodies urging visa bans and asset freezes against individuals and organisations accused of extremist connections or violations of religious freedom. Names mentioned in related deliberations included former Kano State governor Rabiu Kwankwaso and the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria.

Washington formally designated Boko Haram as a foreign terrorist organisation in 2013, citing its sustained campaign of violence across northern Nigeria and the Lake Chad Basin since 2009.

In October 2025, U.S. President Donald Trump announced that Nigeria would again be placed on the U.S. State Department’s list of Countries of Particular Concern over alleged religious-freedom violations. Nigeria had previously been listed in 2020 before being removed during the administration of former President Joe Biden.

Security analysts say the latest sanctions highlight Washington’s continued reliance on financial restrictions to disrupt suspected terror networks while signalling diplomatic pressure, as Nigeria confronts evolving security threats in its North-East and other regions.