The United States has frozen the assets and properties of eight Nigerians accused of having links to the Islamic sect Boko Haram and the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL).
This was revealed in a 3,000-page document dated February 10 and released by the US Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), which was seen by a correspondent on Monday.
The document also named other individuals sanctioned for cybercrime and security-related offences.
The announcement follows recent recommendations by the US Congress for visa bans and asset freezes on people and groups accused of violating religious freedom and persecuting Christians in Nigeria.
US lawmakers had recommended visa bans and asset freezes for the former Governor of Kano State, Rabiu Kwankwaso, the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria, and Miyetti Allah Kautal.
The OFAC document, titled “Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons List,” includes individuals and organisations from different countries whose assets have been frozen. It serves as a reference tool for the public.
It also notifies the public of actions taken against Specially Designated Nationals, whose property and financial interests have been blocked as part of counter-terrorism efforts.
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According to OFAC, the move is part of broader efforts to block the assets of sanctioned persons and stop financial dealings with them.
“This publication of Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control is designed as a reference tool providing actual notice of actions by OFAC with respect to Specially Designated Nationals and other persons (which term includes both individuals and entities) whose property is blocked, to assist the public in complying with the various sanctions programmes administered by OFAC,” the agency said.
Among those listed is Salih Yusuf Adamu, also known as Salihu Yusuf, born August 23, 1990, in Nigeria. He was identified as having ties to Boko Haram and as a holder of a Nigerian passport.
Yusuf was among six Nigerians convicted in 2022 for setting up a Boko Haram cell in the United Arab Emirates to raise funds for insurgents in Nigeria. The men were found guilty of trying to send $782,000 from Dubai to Nigeria.
Another person listed is Babestan Oluwole Ademulero, born March 4, 1953, in Nigeria. He was designated under SDNTK sanctions and is known by several aliases, including Wole A. Babestan and Olatunde Irewole Shofeso.
Also named was Abu Abdullah ibn Umar Al-Barnawi, also known as Ba Idrisa. He was reportedly born between 1989 and 1994 in Maiduguri, Borno State, and was flagged under terrorism-related sanctions.
Abu Musab Al-Barnawi, also called Habib Yusuf, was listed with birth years ranging from 1990 to 1995. He was identified as a Boko Haram leader and sanctioned under terrorism provisions.
Khaled (or Khalid) Al-Barnawi, born in 1976 in Maiduguri, also appeared on the list under several aliases, including Abu Hafsat and Mohammed Usman, and was linked to Boko Haram.
Ibrahim Ali Alhassan, born January 31, 1981, in Nigeria, was listed as residing in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, and was also linked to Boko Haram.
Abu Bakr ibn Muhammad ibn Ali Al-Mainuki, also known as Abu-Bilal Al-Minuki, born in 1982 in Mainok, Borno State, was identified as having ties to ISIL.
Nnamdi Orson Benson, born March 21, 1987, in Nigeria, was listed under CYBER2 sanctions and was reported to hold a Nigerian passport.
The inclusion of these names on the OFAC list shows Washington’s continued focus on fighting terrorism financing and cyber threats.
The sanctions mean that any property or assets these individuals hold within US jurisdiction are blocked, and US citizens and organisations are generally prohibited from doing business with them.
Nigerians on the list face asset freezes under Executive Order 13224.
The United States officially designated Boko Haram a foreign terrorist organisation in 2013. According to the US State Department, the group has carried out numerous attacks since 2009 across northern and northeastern Nigeria and in parts of Cameroon, Chad, and Niger around the Lake Chad Basin, killing thousands of people.
The US Secretary of State is responsible for identifying countries that repeatedly support international terrorism.
Such countries are designated under three laws: Section 1754(c) of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2019, Section 40 of the Arms Export Control Act, and Section 620A of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961.
In October 2025, for the second time, US President Donald Trump announced that Nigeria would be added to the US State Department’s list of “Countries of Particular Concern.”
Trump wrote on X that Nigeria would be placed on a religious freedom watchlist, alleging that Christians were facing persecution and being killed by Muslims.
Nigeria was first placed on the list in 2020 under President Trump, but former President Joe Biden removed the country shortly after taking office.