The United States just turned the financial screws on eight Nigerians accused of funding terror — and their assets are now frozen solid.
In a decisive move announced on February 16, 2026, the U.S. Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) has officially frozen all U.S.-based assets and properties belonging to eight Nigerian individuals accused of having ties to Boko Haram and the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL).
The sanctions, issued under Executive Order 13224 — the U.S. government's primary tool for targeting terrorism financing — mean that all assets within U.S. jurisdiction are now blocked, and American citizens and businesses are strictly prohibited from engaging in any transactions with the designated individuals.
Who's on the List?
Among those sanctioned are:
- Salih Yusuf Adamu — previously convicted in the UAE for operating a Boko Haram fundraising cell
- Abu Musab Al-Barnawi — a reported Boko Haram leader
- Babestan Oluwole Ademulero
- Abu Bakr ibn Muhammad ibn Ali Al-Mainuki
- Nnamdi Orson Benson — sanctioned under cybercrime provisions
The full identities and details of the remaining three individuals were not immediately disclosed, but all eight are now effectively cut off from the U.S. financial system.
What This Means
An OFAC spokesperson made the intent clear:
"The sanctions are aimed at cutting off financial and material support for terrorist activities. They also serve as a warning against international networks that facilitate or finance extremist groups."
In practical terms, this means:
- No access to U.S. banks or financial institutions
- No transactions with U.S. businesses or citizens
- International pressure on other countries to follow suit
Boko Haram has been designated a Foreign Terrorist Organization by the U.S. since 2013, after years of devastating attacks across Nigeria and the Lake Chad Basin. ISIL, meanwhile, remains one of the most globally recognized terror networks.
Part of a Bigger Strategy
Experts say sanctions like these are part of a broader international strategy to financially suffocate extremist groups. By targeting the people who fund, facilitate, and enable terrorism, governments hope to dismantle the financial infrastructure that keeps these networks alive.
For the eight Nigerians now on the OFAC list, the message is unmistakable: fund terror, lose everything.
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