The United States government has imposed asset freezes on eight Nigerians allegedly connected to Boko Haram and the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL).
The sanctions were detailed in a 3,000-page document released by the US Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) on February 10, 2026, and reported on February 16. The list also included individuals sanctioned for cybercrime and other security threats.
The Nigerians named include Salih Yusuf Adamu, Babestan Oluwole Ademulero, Abu Abdullah ibn Umar Al-Barnawi, Abu Musab Al-Barnawi, Khaled (or Khalid) Al-Barnawi, Abu Bakr ibn Muhammad ibn Ali Al-Mainuki, and Nnamdi Orson Benson.
The action follows recommendations from the US Congress suggesting visa restrictions and asset freezes for persons and organizations accused of violating religious freedoms and persecuting Christians in Nigeria. Notable entities mentioned in these recommendations included former Kano State Governor Rabiu Kwankwaso and the Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore herders group.
The OFAC document, titled Specifically Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons List, provides official notice of actions taken against individuals and entities, whose assets in US jurisdiction are blocked, preventing US citizens and businesses from conducting transactions with them.
Among the sanctioned, Salih Yusuf Adamu (also Salihu Yusuf), born August 23, 1990, was convicted in the UAE in 2022 for operating a Boko Haram cell that attempted to send $782,000 to Nigeria. Abu Abdullah ibn Umar Al-Barnawi and Abu Musab Al-Barnawi are both identified as Boko Haram leaders. Khaled Al-Barnawi, born 1976 in Maiduguri, Nigeria, is linked to multiple Boko Haram operations under various aliases. Abu Bakr ibn Muhammad ibn Ali Al-Mainuki has connections to ISIL, while Nnamdi Orson Benson faces sanctions for cybercrime-related activities.
These sanctions freeze all property and interests of the listed individuals in the US and generally bar Americans from engaging in business with them. The designations fall under Executive Order 13224, aimed at combating terrorism financing.
Boko Haram was officially declared a foreign terrorist organization by the US in 2013, responsible for attacks across Nigeria and the Lake Chad Basin, including Cameroon, Chad, and Niger, killing thousands since 2009.
Additionally, Nigeria has been designated a “Country of Particular Concern” for alleged religious freedom violations. Under former President Donald Trump, Nigeria was placed on the US watchlist in 2025 for purported persecution of Christians. The country was previously removed from the list by President Joe Biden.
The sanctions signal Washington’s continued focus on countering terrorism financing and cyber threats affecting Nigeria and beyond.
