The United States Government has designated a Nigerian businessman, Mukhtar Adamu Muhammad, and three Nigerian companies as financiers of the Islamic State terrorist network, placing them on its Specially Designated Nationals (SDN) sanctions list.
Key highlights:
The designation, announced by the U.S. Department of State, forms part of a wider crackdown targeting individuals and entities allegedly involved in facilitating the movement of funds for the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) across multiple regions, including Europe, the Middle East and West Africa.
In a statement issued by U.S. State Department spokesperson Thomas Pigott, the American government said the sanctions targeted three individuals and six companies accused of supporting ISIS financial operations.
According to the statement, the sanctions expose an international network stretching from France and Syria to Türkiye and Nigeria.
Among those sanctioned is Mukhtar Adamu Muhammad, a Nigerian national allegedly linked to ISIS-West Africa. U.S. authorities identified him as operating money exchange businesses that allegedly served as channels for financing the terrorist organisation.
The U.S. also named three Nigerian firms allegedly connected to Muhammad’s activities. They are Generation Currency Bureau De Change Limited, based in Lagos; Nine To Nine Exchange Bureau De Change Limited, located in Ikeja, Lagos State; and Manhattan Bureau De Change Limited, based in Kano State.
The sanctions mean that any assets or interests belonging to the designated individuals and companies within U.S. jurisdiction are blocked, while American citizens and businesses are prohibited from engaging in transactions with them.
The State Department said the Nigeria-based facilitator used money exchange businesses as conduits for ISIS financing operations.
“Today’s designations target three individuals and six entities operating across Europe, the Middle East, and West Africa who have enabled ISIS to move money across borders,” Pigott said.
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The statement also identified other sanctioned individuals as Abdelhakim Boukich, a Syria-based operative allegedly linked to ISIS activities, and Miloud Abderrahmane, a French national accused of facilitating support for ISIS members.
Two Turkish companies and a Syria-based cryptocurrency exchange business were also included in the sanctions list.
The U.S. government noted that the action was taken under Executive Order 13224, as amended, which authorises sanctions against individuals and organisations linked to terrorism.
Washington further reaffirmed its security partnership with Nigeria, referencing the joint operation conducted on May 16, 2026, that reportedly led to the killing of Abu-Bilal al-Minuki, described as the second-highest-ranking official within ISIS.
The U.S. government vowed to continue deploying diplomatic, legal and financial measures against ISIS and its supporters worldwide.
“We will continue to use every diplomatic and legal tool available to hold ISIS and its supporters accountable — wherever they operate and however they move money,” Pigott stated.
ISIS, formerly known as Al-Qaeda in Iraq, was designated by the United States as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist organisation in 2004.
