US freezes assets of over 20 Nigerians linked to Boko Haram, cybercrime
The United States government has frozen the assets and properties of several Nigerians accused of affiliation with Islamic extremist groups Boko Haram and the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, as well as individuals implicated in cybercrime-related offences and other security threats.
The sanctions were detailed in a 3,000-page document updated by the United States Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control on February 10, 2026, and reviewed by correspondents on Monday.
The list includes over 20 Nigerian individuals and organisations operating within the country, all of whom have been designated under various US sanctions programmes.
Under the designations, all property and interests in property of these individuals and entities located within US jurisdiction or in the possession or control of US persons are blocked pursuant to Executive Order 13224. US persons are generally prohibited from engaging in any transactions with the sanctioned parties.
Among the most prominent Nigerians on the list are figures connected to Boko Haram and its affiliates, as well as individuals designated for cybercrime activities under OFAC’s cyber-related sanctions programme.
Khalid al-Barnawi, also known by several aliases including Khaled al-Barnawi, Mohammed Usman, and Abu Hafsat, was born in 1976 in Maiduguri, Borno State. He has been designated as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist with links to Boko Haram.
Abubakar Shekau, born in 1969 in Shekau Village, Yobe State, is listed as a former leader associated with Boko Haram. He operated under multiple aliases including Abu Mohammed Abubakar bin Mohammed and has been designated an SDGT by US authorities.
Abu Musab al-Barnawi, also known as Habib Yusuf, was born in 1991 in Nigeria. OFAC records indicate multiple alternate dates of birth. He has been sanctioned as a Boko Haram affiliate and leader under the SDGT programme.
Abu Bakr al-Mainuki, born in 1982 in Mainok, Benisheikh Local Government Area of Borno State, is designated for links to the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant. He is also known as Abu-Bilal al-Minuki and Abubakar Mainok.
The document also lists several Nigerians currently believed to be based in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, all designated for alleged ties to Boko Haram.
Salihu Yusuf Adamu, born on August 23, 1990, in Nigeria, is currently located in Abu Dhabi according to OFAC records. He has been designated as an SDGT for alleged links to Boko Haram.
Surajo Abubakar Muhammad, also known as Surajo Abu Bakr Muhammad, was born on July 3, 1979, in Nigeria and is currently in Abu Dhabi. He faces SDGT designation for alleged Boko Haram connections.
Abdurrahman Ado Musa, born April 23, 1984, in Nigeria, is designated under the same programme for alleged links to the extremist group.
Bashir Ali Yusuf, born August 7, 1984, in Nigeria, is also listed as an SDGT for alleged Boko Haram affiliation.
Ibrahim Ali Alhassan, born January 31, 1981, in Nigeria and currently located in Abu Dhabi, rounds out the list of individuals designated for alleged terrorist financing or support activities connected to Boko Haram.
Six Nigerians have been sanctioned under OFAC’s cyber-related designations programme, identified in the document as CYBER2.
Nnamdi Orson Benson, born March 21, 1987, in Nigeria, faces cyber-related sanctions.
Abiola Ayorinde Kayode, born November 14, 1987, in Nigeria, has been designated under the same programme.
Alex Afolabi Ogunshakin, born February 23, 1983, in Nigeria, is included in the cyber sanctions list.
Felix Osilama Okpoh, born March 9, 1989, in Nigeria, has been designated for cyber-related offences.
Micheal Olorunyomi, born May 12, 1983, in Nigeria, faces similar sanctions.
Richard Izuchukwu Uzuh, born April 29, 1986, in Nigeria, completes the list of individuals sanctioned for cyber-related activities.
Ali Abbas Usman Jega, also known by the aliases Ali Abbas Othman Hassan and Abbas Jega, was born in 1965 and maintains an address in Abuja, Nigeria. He has been designated as an SDGT, though the specific grounds for his designation were not detailed in available portions of the document.
Abeni O. Ogungbuyi, also known as Abeni O. Babestan and Olatutu Temitope Shofeso, was born June 30, 1952, in Nigeria and has been designated under the Specially Designated Narcotics Traffickers Kingpins programme.
The sanctions extend beyond individuals to include several organisations based in or operating within Nigeria.
Boko Haram, also known as Jama’atu Ahlis-Sunnah Lidda’awati Wal-Jihad and the Nigerian Taliban, has been designated both as a Foreign Terrorist Organization and as an SDGT entity for terrorism-related activities.
Ansaru, formally known as Ansarul Muslimina Fi Biladis Sudan and also called Vanguards for the Protection of Muslims in Black Africa, carries dual designation as both an FTO and SDGT entity for terrorism.
Three Nigerian companies have been sanctioned under the SDGT programme for alleged links to individuals previously designated by OFAC: Amigo Supermarket Limited, Kafak Enterprises Limited, and Wonderland Amusement Park and Resort Limited.
ISIS-West Africa, the regional affiliate of the Islamic State operating in Nigeria and neighbouring countries, has been designated as both an FTO and SDGT entity.
Additionally, Aurum Ship Management FZC is listed under the SDGT programme for alleged links to designated individuals, while Jammal Trust Bank S.A.L. has been sanctioned for purported connections to Hezbollah.
According to OFAC, the comprehensive list serves as a reference tool providing public notice of actions taken against Specially Designated Nationals and other persons, a term that encompasses both individuals and entities whose property and interests are blocked.
“This publication of Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control, OFAC, 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 stated.
The inclusion of these Nigerian names and entities in the OFAC sanctions list reflects Washington’s sustained focus on countering terrorism financing, violent extremism, and cybercrime threats emanating from or connected to Nigeria.
The designations carry significant consequences for those listed. Blocked property cannot be transferred, paid, exported, withdrawn, or otherwise dealt with by US persons. Financial institutions and other entities doing business with the US are required to freeze any assets belonging to sanctioned individuals or organisations and report them to OFAC.
The announcement follows recent recommendations by the United States Congress calling for visa bans and asset freezes targeting persons and groups accused of violations of religious freedom and persecution of Christians in Nigeria.
US lawmakers recommended visa bans and asset freezes against the former Governor of Kano State, Rabiu Kwankwaso, the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria, and Miyetti Allah Kautal over allegations related to religious freedom violations.
In October 2025, for the second time during his presidency, US President Donald Trump announced that Nigeria would be added to the Department of State’s Countries of Particular Concern list for religious freedom, citing allegations of persecution of Christians by Muslims. Nigeria was first designated under this classification in 2020 during Trump’s first term but was removed by President Joe Biden shortly after he assumed office in January 2021.
The religious freedom designation and subsequent sanctions recommendations have generated significant diplomatic and domestic political debate in Nigeria, with critics arguing that the characterisation oversimplifies complex security and intercommunal conflicts in Africa’s most populous nation.
Nigeria has grappled with violent extremism for over a decade, particularly in the Northeast region where Boko Haram launched an insurgency in 2009. The group has killed tens of thousands of people and displaced millions, with the conflict expanding to involve multiple factions including ISIS-West Africa, which split from Boko Haram in 2016.
Cybercrime has also emerged as a significant challenge, with Nigerian nationals frequently implicated in international fraud schemes, business email compromise operations, and romance scams, prompting increased law enforcement cooperation between Nigerian and US authorities.
The OFAC sanctions list is regularly updated and represents one of the primary tools employed by the US Treasury Department to enforce economic and trade sanctions based on US foreign policy and national security goals.