The United States has blocked the assets of eight Nigerians suspected of supporting Boko Haram, ISIL, and cybercrime.

³On February 10, the US Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) issued a 3,000-page document outlining the penalties.

The measure followed US legislators’ demands for visa bans and asset freezes on individuals and groups suspected of religious persecution and security threats in Nigeria.

Among those identified are Salih Yusuf Adamu, Babestan Oluwole Ademulero, Abu Abdullah ibn Umar Al-Barnawi, Abu Musab Al-Barnawi, Khaled Al-Barnawi, Ibrahim Ali Alhassan, Abu Bakr ibn Muhammad ibn Ali Al-Mainuki, and Nnamdi Orson Benson.

OFAC stated that the sanctions bar the property and interests of certain “Specially Designated Nationals” inside US jurisdiction and prohibit US citizens from conducting transactions with them.

Some of the suspects had already been convicted in the UAE for attempting to raise funds for Boko Haram rebels, including a $782,000 transfer from Dubai to Nigeria.

Others were recognised as leaders or affiliates of Boko Haram and ISIL, while several were sanctioned for cybercrime.

The United States first classified Boko Haram as a foreign terrorist organization in 2013, citing its involvement in attacks across Nigeria and the Lake Chad Basin.

Sanctions against these Nigerians are part of a larger counter-terrorism effort to disrupt financial transactions and protect national and international security.

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