The United States has frozen the assets and properties of eight Nigerians accused of having links to Boko Haram and the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), intensifying its financial war against terrorism and cybercrime.
The action was disclosed in a 3,000-page document released by the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) of the US Treasury, dated February 10, 2026, and sighted on Monday, February 16, 2026. The publication also identified individuals sanctioned for cyber-related offences and other security threats.
Those listed include Salih Yusuf Adamu; Babestan Oluwole Ademulero; Abu Abdullah ibn Umar Al-Barnawi; Abu Musab Al-Barnawi; Khaled (or Khalid) Al-Barnawi; Ibrahim Ali Alhassan; Abu Bakr ibn Muhammad ibn Ali Al-Mainuki; and Nnamdi Orson Benson.
The sanctions followed recommendations by the US Congress for visa restrictions and asset freezes on persons and groups accused of violations of religious freedom and persecution of Christians in Nigeria.
Among entities earlier recommended by US lawmakers for similar measures were former Kano State Governor, Rabiu Kwankwaso, the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria, and Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore.
The OFAC document, titled “Specifically Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons List,” catalogues individuals and entities worldwide whose assets have been blocked under US counter-terrorism and sanctions programmes.
“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 whose property is blocked, to assist the public in complying with the various sanctions programmes administered by OFAC,” the agency stated.
Among those named 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 was reported to hold a Nigerian passport. Yusuf was one of six Nigerians convicted in 2022 for establishing a Boko Haram cell in the United Arab Emirates to raise funds for insurgents. The group was found guilty of attempting to transfer $782,000 from Dubai to Nigeria.
Also listed is Abu Abdullah ibn Umar Al-Barnawi, also known as Ba Idrisa, reportedly born between 1989 and 1994 in Maiduguri, Borno State, and sanctioned under terrorism-related provisions.
Abu Musab Al-Barnawi, also referred to as Habib Yusuf, with birth years listed between 1990 and 1995, was identified as a Boko Haram leader and sanctioned accordingly.
Khaled (or Khalid) Al-Barnawi, born in 1976 in Maiduguri, appeared twice in the publication and was linked to Boko Haram under multiple aliases, including Abu Hafsat and Mohammed Usman.
Ibrahim Ali Alhassan, born January 31, 1981, in Nigeria and reportedly resident in Abu Dhabi, was also cited for alleged Boko Haram ties.
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 connections to ISIL.
Nnamdi Orson Benson, born March 21, 1987, was listed under CYBER2 sanctions and identified as holding a Nigerian passport.
Their inclusion underscores Washington’s sustained efforts to disrupt terrorism financing networks and cyber threats. Under the sanctions, all property and interests of the named individuals within US jurisdiction are blocked, and US persons are generally prohibited from engaging in transactions with them.
The sanctions were imposed pursuant to Executive Order 13224, which targets terrorists and those providing support to them. The US officially designated Boko Haram a foreign terrorist organisation in 2013.
According to the United States Department of State, Boko Haram has carried out numerous deadly attacks in northern and northeastern Nigeria, as well as across the Lake Chad Basin in Cameroon, Chad and Niger, killing thousands since 2009.
In October 2025, US President Donald Trump announced that Nigeria would again be placed on the US State Department’s list of “Countries of Particular Concern,” citing allegations of religious persecution. Nigeria was first designated under Trump in 2020 but was later removed from the list by former President Joe Biden shortly after he assumed office.