US slaps sanctions on 8 Nigerians over terror, cybercrime links
The United States has frozen the assets and properties of eight Nigerians under Executive Order 13224, for their alleged links to Boko Haram, ISIL, and cybercrime activities.
The move, announced over the weekend by the United States Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), blocks their property and interests within US jurisdiction and prohibits Americans from engaging in financial transactions with them.
In a comprehensive document spanning over 3,000 pages, OFAC identified individuals sanctioned for cybercrime and other security threats, describing the publication as a reference tool for official notice against Specially Designated Nationals (SDNs).
“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 programs administered by OFAC,” the agency stated.
The eight Nigerians named include Salih Yusuf Adamu aka Salihu Yusuf, who was previously convicted in the United Arab Emirates in 2022 for attempting to transfer $782,000 to fund Boko Haram operations.
Others identified include Babestan Oluwole Ademulero, appearing under aliases such as Wole A. Babestan and Olatunde Irewole Shofeso, and Abu Abdullah ibn Umar Al-Barnawi, aka Ba Idrisa.
The list further includes Abu Musab Al-Barnawi, referred to as Habib Yusuf, who is identified as a Boko Haram leader, and Khaled Al-Barnawi, linked to the group under multiple aliases including Abu Hafsat and Mohammed Usman.
The sanctions also target Ibrahim Ali Alhassan, associated with Boko Haram, and Abu Bakr ibn Muhammad Al-Mainuki, identified for his ties to ISIL. Nnamdi Orson Benson was specifically designated for cybercrime-related offenses.
Under Executive Order 13224, all property and interests of these individuals within US jurisdiction are blocked, and Americans are generally prohibited from conducting business with them.
Boko Haram was officially designated a foreign terrorist organization by the United States in 2013.
The group has carried out deadly attacks across northern and northeastern Nigeria, as well as the Lake Chad Basin, claiming thousands of lives since 2009.
These measures underscore Washington’s continued commitment to countering terrorism financing and cyber threats. This follows earlier reports regarding recommendations for visa bans and asset freezes against other prominent figures over security concerns.
