The United States has imposed sanctions on eight Nigerians accused of links to extremist groups and cybercrime networks, freezing any assets under US jurisdiction and barring American entities from conducting transactions with them.
The designations were announced in a February 10 update by the US Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), which added the individuals to its Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons list.
According to OFAC, the sanctions target individuals allegedly connected to Boko Haram and Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, as well as others accused of cyber‑related offenses.
Among those listed is Salih Yusuf Adamu, who was previously convicted in the United Arab Emirates for attempting to channel funds to Boko Haram. US authorities said the measures are part of broader efforts to disrupt terrorism financing and prevent extremist groups from accessing international financial systems.
Also designated were individuals identified as senior figures or operatives linked to Boko Haram, including Abu Musab Al‑Barnawi and Khaled Al‑Barnawi, both previously associated with insurgent activity in northeastern Nigeria.
In addition, Nnamdi Orson Benson was listed under cyber‑related sanctions authorities.
Under US Executive Order 13224, all property and interests in property of designated individuals within US jurisdiction are blocked. US persons are generally prohibited from engaging in transactions with them.
The sanctions come amid heightened scrutiny in Washington over security and religious freedom concerns in Nigeria. In October 2025, US President Donald Trump announced plans to place Nigeria back on a religious freedom watchlist, citing allegations of persecution against Christians.
Nigeria was first designated a “Country of Particular Concern” in 2020 but was later removed from the list under former President Joe Biden.
While US lawmakers have also recommended visa bans and asset freezes against other Nigerian political and civic figures over alleged religious freedom violations, those proposals are separate from the Treasury’s terrorism‑related sanctions.
The United States formally designated Boko Haram a Foreign Terrorist Organization in 2013. The group has carried out attacks across northeastern Nigeria and the Lake Chad Basin for more than a decade, contributing to one of Africa’s longest‑running insurgencies.
US officials say the latest sanctions are intended to curb financial flows to extremist networks and strengthen international counter‑terrorism cooperation.
Nigerian authorities have not yet issued an official response to the new designations.
