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The United States government has imposed sanctions on a Nigerian national and three Nigeria-based companies over their alleged involvement in financing terrorism linked to the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS).
The action, announced by the US Department of the Treasury, also targeted other individuals and entities operating in France, Syria and Türkiye as part of a broader crackdown on financial networks accused of facilitating ISIS activities across multiple regions.
According to the US authorities, the sanctions affect three individuals and six entities allegedly involved in moving funds used to support ISIS operations in West Africa, the Middle East and Europe through a complex cross-border financial network.
Among those designated is Nigerian citizen Mukhtar Adamu Muhammad, also known as Mukhtar Adamu, who was identified as residing in Lagos. US authorities alleged that he played a role in supporting the financial operations of ISIS-West Africa.
Three Nigerian companies were also added to the US Specially Designated Nationals (SDN) list. They include Generation Currency Bureau De Change Limited, registered in Lagos; Manhattan Bureau De Change Limited, based in Kano; and Nine to Nine Exchange Bureau De Change Limited, located in Ikeja, Lagos.
The US government alleged that the companies were linked to financial transactions connected to Mukhtar Adamu and an ISIS-related network.
Other individuals sanctioned include France-based Miloud Abderrahmane and Syria-based Abdelhakim Boukich, both of whom US authorities accused of supporting ISIS-linked financial activities.
The sanctions also extend to three companies operating in Türkiye and Syria, including Alkaram Danismanlik Gayrimenkul Ic ve Dis Genel Ticaret Limited Sirketi, Spider Gayrimenkul ve Genel Ticaret Limited Sirketi, and Bitcoin Exchange Agent Idlib’s No. 1 Coin Exchange.
US officials said the network relied on various methods, including money-transfer services and cryptocurrency transactions, to move funds across different countries and support ISIS operations.
Under the sanctions, all property and interests in property of the designated persons and entities within US jurisdiction are blocked, and US persons are generally prohibited from conducting transactions with them.
The latest action forms part of Washington’s ongoing efforts to disrupt terrorist financing networks and prevent extremist groups from accessing international financial systems.
