Trump sanctions Yusuf Adamu, Salihu Yusuf, Al-Barnawi, six other Nigerians over Boko Haram, cybercrime

The United States has frozen the assets and properties of eight Nigerians, including Salih Yusuf Adamu, Abu Musab Al-Barnawi, and Abu Bakr ibn Muhammad ibn Ali Al-Mainuki, citing their alleged ties to Boko Haram, the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), and cybercrime activities.

According to a 3,000-page document released on February 10 by the US Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), the sanctions block all property and interests of these individuals within US jurisdiction. Americans are prohibited from engaging in transactions with those listed, and their assets are frozen under Executive Order 13224, aimed at countering terrorism financing.

Among the Nigerians named is Salih Yusuf Adamu, born August 23, 1990. Yusuf was part of a group convicted in the United Arab Emirates in 2022 for establishing a Boko Haram fundraising cell that attempted to transfer $782,000 from Dubai to Nigeria.

Others listed include: Babestan Oluwole Ademulero, born March 4, 1953; Abu Abdullah ibn Umar Al-Barnawi, born 1989–1994 in Maiduguri; Khaled Al-Barnawi, born 1976 in Maiduguri; Ibrahim Ali Alhassan, born 1981; and Nnamdi Orson Benson, born 1987, sanctioned for cybercrime.

The sanctions also include Abu Bakr ibn Muhammad ibn Ali Al-Mainuki, identified for ties to ISIL.

The OFAC document, titled Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons List, is used as a reference for individuals and entities whose property is blocked. It comes on the heels of US Congressional recommendations for visa bans and asset freezes against Nigerians linked to violations of religious freedom and persecution of Christians, including former Kano State Governor Rabiu Kwankwaso and groups like the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association.

Thallium sulphate, a highly toxic chemical, and cybercrime were also cited in related US counterterrorism assessments. OFAC stressed that the sanctions aim to prevent financial dealings with designated individuals while sending a message that terrorism financing and related criminal activities will not be tolerated.

Boko Haram has been designated a foreign terrorist organisation by the US since 2013 and remains responsible for attacks across northern Nigeria and the Lake Chad Basin, claiming thousands of lives.

In October 2025, former US President Donald Trump designated Nigeria a “Country of Particular Concern” over religious freedom violations, citing Christian persecution. Nigeria had previously been placed on the list in 2020 but was removed by former President Joe Biden shortly after taking office.

The latest sanctions underscore Washington’s continued focus on counterterrorism, cybercrime, and religious freedom concerns in Nigeria while targeting those allegedly involved in financing insurgency operations.