WASHINGTON, D.C. — The United States has imposed sanctions on a Nigerian national and several Nigeria-linked businesses as part of a sweeping crackdown on alleged Islamic State (ISIS) financial networks operating across Africa, Europe and the Middle East.
The sanctions, announced by the U.S. Department of State and the U.S. Department of the Treasury on Monday, target individuals and entities Washington alleges have facilitated the movement of funds for the terrorist group through money exchange businesses and cryptocurrency transactions.
Among those designated is Muhammad Mukhtar Adamu, a Nigerian accused by U.S. authorities of acting as a financial facilitator for the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP). According to the U.S. government, Adamu allegedly used bureau de change operations in Nigeria to transfer funds on behalf of the terrorist organisation.
The sanctions also extend to Nigeria-linked foreign exchange businesses that U.S. authorities say were connected to the alleged financing network.
Others sanctioned include Miloud Abderrahmane of France and Anas Abdulsalam Khaled of Syria, alongside entities based in Syria, Türkiye and Nigeria that are alleged to have supported ISIS financial operations.
According to the U.S. State Department, the measures are intended to disrupt the financial infrastructure that enables ISIS to fund attacks, sustain its regional affiliates and support its global operations.
“Under the leadership of President Trump, the United States is dismantling ISIS’s ability to finance terrorism around the world. We are cutting off the financial lifelines that enable ISIS to fund attacks, support its regional affiliates and threaten civilians,” State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott said while announcing the sanctions.
Under the sanctions, all property and interests belonging to the designated individuals and entities that fall within U.S. jurisdiction are blocked. U.S. citizens and companies are generally prohibited from conducting transactions with them, while foreign financial institutions risk secondary sanctions if they knowingly facilitate prohibited dealings.
The latest action follows intensified U.S. counterterrorism efforts in West Africa and comes weeks after U.S. and Nigerian forces carried out a joint operation against senior ISIS figures operating in northeastern Nigeria.
While Nigeria features in the sanctions announcement, the designation does not identify the country itself as an ISIS financier. Rather, it targets specific Nigerian individuals and businesses that U.S. authorities allege were involved in financing activities linked to the terrorist organisation.