The United States has imposed sanctions on several Nigerians linked to the terrorist group Boko Haram, freezing their assets and prohibiting transactions with them under American jurisdiction.
Lagos — The U.S. Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) continues to target individuals associated with Boko Haram, a Nigeria-based militant group designated by the U.S. Department of State as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) and Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT) since November 2013.
Nigerians appearing on the U.S. Treasury's sanctions list, often referred to as the Specially Designated Nationals (SDN) List, face immediate asset freezes for any property or interests under U.S. jurisdiction. U.S. persons and entities are generally barred from engaging in any transactions with these designated individuals, with violations risking civil or criminal penalties. Secondary sanctions may also apply to foreign institutions facilitating significant dealings with them.
Boko Haram, officially known as Jama'atu Ahlis-Sunnah lid-Da'awati wal-Jihad, has been responsible for thousands of deaths since 2009 through attacks in northern and northeastern Nigeria, as well as the Lake Chad Basin region spanning Cameroon, Chad, and Niger. The group pledged allegiance to the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) in 2015, intensifying its threat profile.
Key designations include senior Boko Haram figures and fundraisers. For instance, in December 2015, the Treasury sanctioned Mohammed Nur and Mustapha Chad for acting on behalf of or providing support to the group. More recently, actions have focused on networks raising funds abroad.
In March 2022, six Nigerian nationals—Abdurrahman Ado Musa, Salihu Yusuf Adamu, Bashir Ali Yusuf, Muhammed Ibrahim Isa, Ibrahim Ali Alhassan, and Surajo Abubakar Muhammad—were designated for establishing a Boko Haram fundraising cell in the United Arab Emirates, convicted there of transferring approximately $782,000 to insurgents in Nigeria.
Recent reports from 2026 indicate additional Nigerians added to the list over alleged ties to Boko Haram, ISIL, and related activities, including cybercrime links in some cases. These individuals face asset blocks and transaction prohibitions, underscoring ongoing U.S. efforts to disrupt terrorist financing networks.
The designations stem from Executive Order 13224 (as amended), which targets terrorists, their leaders, and supporters to block property and prohibit dealings. This authority complements broader U.S. counterterrorism measures.
Separately, the U.S. designates certain countries as State Sponsors of Terrorism for repeatedly supporting international terrorism acts, under laws including Section 1754(c) of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2019, Section 40 of the Arms Export Control Act, and Section 620A of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961. The current list includes Cuba, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (North Korea), Iran, and Syria.
These measures aim to isolate and financially cripple terrorist entities like Boko Haram while pressuring state actors providing material support to terrorism worldwide.
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