The United States has identified a Nigerian national and three Nigerian companies among individuals and entities designated for allegedly facilitating financial transactions linked to the terrorist group, the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS).
The designation forms part of a broader action targeting three individuals and six entities accused of supporting ISIS financing operations across several regions of the world.
In a statement issued on Monday, U.S. Department of State spokesperson, Thomas Pigott, said the sanctions target a transnational network operating across Europe, the Middle East and West Africa.
According to Pigott, the network enabled ISIS to move funds across international borders, supporting the group’s operations and activities.
“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, exposing a network that spans from France and Syria to Türkiye and Nigeria,” he stated.
The statement noted that those sanctioned include a France-based facilitator accused of providing information on the use of explosives to ISIS supporters, a Syria-based operative who allegedly used cryptocurrency to transfer funds on behalf of ISIS associates in several countries, including the United States, and a Nigeria-based facilitator whose money exchange businesses were reportedly used to channel funds for ISIS activities.
The U.S. government subsequently released the identities of the sanctioned individuals and entities.
Among them is Mukhtar Adamu Muhammad, a Nigerian citizen based in Lagos, who was listed as an ISIS-West Africa-linked financier.
Three Nigerian firms were also added to the sanctions list:
- Generation Currency Bureau De Change Limited, Lagos;
- Manhattan Bureau De Change Limited, Kano; and
- Nine to Nine Exchange Bureau De Change Limited, Ikeja, Lagos.
The companies were identified as being linked to Mukhtar Adamu Muhammad and the wider ISIS financing network.
Other entities designated include Alkaram Danismanlik Gayrimenkul Ic ve Dis Genel Ticaret Limited Sirketi and Spider Gayrimenkul ve Genel Ticaret Limited Sirketi in Türkiye, as well as Bitcoin Exchange Agent Idlib’s No.1 Coin Exchange in Syria.
The U.S. government reaffirmed its security partnership with Nigeria, referencing the joint operation conducted on May 16, 2026, which led to the killing of Abu-Bilal al-Minuki, described as ISIS’s second-in-command.
Pigott stressed that Washington would continue deploying diplomatic, financial and legal measures to disrupt ISIS networks globally.
“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. We remain fully committed to protecting American lives, defending religious minorities, and working with international partners to eliminate the threat that ISIS poses to global peace and security,” he said.
The sanctions were imposed under Executive Order 13224, as amended, which authorises action against individuals and organisations involved in terrorism and terrorist financing.
The U.S. also noted that ISIS, formerly known as al-Qaeda in Iraq, was designated a Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT) organisation in 2004.
