US Freezes Assets of Eight Nigerians Linked to Boko Haram, ISIL

The United States has frozen the assets and properties of eight Nigerians alleged to have links with Islamist extremist groups Boko Haram and the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL). The move was outlined in a 3,000-page document released over the weekend by the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), which also listed individuals sanctioned for cybercrime and other security threats.

The sanctions follow recommendations from the U.S. Congress calling for visa bans and asset freezes on former Kano State Governor Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso and several Miyetti Allah groups over attacks targeting Christian communities in Nigeria. OFAC said the document lists Specially Designated Nationals (SDNs) whose property and interests are blocked under counter-terrorism and sanctions programs.

Among those listed is Salih Yusuf Adamu, also known as Salihu Yusuf, born August 23, 1990. He is linked to Boko Haram and was previously convicted in the UAE for helping set up a fundraising cell. In 2022, he was among six Nigerians found guilty of attempting to send $782,000 from Dubai to fighters in Nigeria. Other individuals named include Babestan Oluwole Ademulero, listed under multiple aliases; Abu Abdullah ibn Umar Al‑Barnawi (Ba Idrisa); Abu Musab Al‑Barnawi (Habib Yusuf); and Khaled Al‑Barnawi, listed under different spellings. Ibrahim Ali Alhassan, reportedly residing in Abu Dhabi, was also flagged for Boko Haram links.

Additionally, Abu Bakr ibn Muhammad Al‑Mainuki (Abu-Bilal Al-Minuki) was sanctioned for ISIL connections, while Nnamdi Orson Benson was listed for cybercrime-related offences. All property and interests of these individuals in the U.S. are blocked, and Americans are prohibited from engaging in transactions with them. The sanctions are enforced under Executive Order 13224, aimed at disrupting terrorism financing networks. Boko Haram has been classified as a foreign terrorist organization since 2013, responsible for thousands of deaths across northern Nigeria and the Lake Chad Basin.