US Sanctions Eight Nigerians for Terror Ties, Cybercrime Offences

ABUJA — The United States government has imposed sanctions on eight Nigerian nationals, freezing their assets and prohibiting American citizens and entities from engaging in transactions with them over alleged links to terrorist organizations and cybercrime.

The designations, published on February 10 by the US Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), add the individuals to the Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons List (SDN List)—a reference document that identifies persons whose property is blocked under US law.

The Designees: Terror Links and Cyber Activities

Among those sanctioned is Salih Yusuf Adamu, also known as Salihu Yusuf, born August 23, 1990. Adamu was identified as having ties to Boko Haram. He was among six Nigerians convicted in the United Arab Emirates in 2022 for operating a Boko Haram cell to raise funds for insurgents in Nigeria. The group was found guilty of attempting to transfer $782,000 from Dubai to Nigeria.

Several other individuals were designated for alleged connections to Boko Haram or the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL). These include:

• Babestan Oluwole Ademulero (born March 4, 1953), listed under multiple aliases including Wole A. Babestan.
• Abu Abdullah ibn Umar Al-Barnawi (born between 1989-1994 in Maiduguri), also known as Ba Idrisa.
• Abu Musab Al-Barnawi (born between 1990-1995), identified as a Boko Haram leader.
• Khaled Al-Barnawi (born 1976 in Maiduguri), appearing under several aliases including Abu Hafsat.
• Ibrahim Ali Alhassan (born January 31, 1981), a Nigerian passport holder reportedly residing in Abu Dhabi.
• Abu Bakr ibn Muhammad ibn Ali Al-Mainuki (born 1982 in Mainok, Borno State), designated for alleged ISIL ties.

Additionally, Nnamdi Orson Benson (born March 21, 1987), a Nigerian passport holder, was listed under CYBER2 sanctions, which target individuals engaged in significant malicious cyber-enabled activities.

Legal Implications and Asset Freezes

The sanctions were issued pursuant to Executive Order 13224, which targets individuals and entities involved in terrorism and terrorism financing. The United States designated Boko Haram a foreign terrorist organization in 2013.

Under the sanctions, all property and interests in property of the listed individuals within US jurisdiction are blocked. US persons are generally prohibited from engaging in any transactions with them.

OFAC described the SDN List publication as a “reference tool providing actual notice of actions” to assist the public in complying with various sanctions programmes. The 3,000-page update formalizes the US government’s stance that these individuals pose sufficient threat to warrant the highest level of financial restrictions.

The designations represent the latest escalation in US counter-terrorism efforts targeting Nigerian-based threats, signaling Washington’s continued focus on disrupting financial networks supporting extremist violence in the Lake Chad region and beyond.