By Ado Oyeyemi
The United States Government has imposed sanctions on a Nigerian national and three companies operating in Nigeria over their alleged involvement in a financial network linked to the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria.
The move formed part of a broader action targeting three individuals and six entities accused of facilitating the transfer of funds for ISIS activities across several countries.
In a statement issued on Monday, the U.S. Department of State said the sanctions affected individuals and organisations operating in France, Syria, Türkiye and Nigeria.
According to the statement, the Nigerian national identified in the action is Mukhtar Adamu Muhammad, who was alleged to have maintained links with ISIS West Africa.
The U.S. authorities also named three Nigerian firms said to be connected to the network.
They include Generation Currency Bureau de Change Limited, Manhattan Bureau de Change Limited and Nine to Nine Exchange Bureau de Change Limited.
The State Department alleged that the businesses were used as channels for moving funds on behalf of the terrorist organisation.
Explaining the rationale behind the sanctions, the department said the affected individuals and companies played various roles in enabling ISIS to transfer money across international borders.
A spokesperson for the department, Thomas Pigott, said the latest measures exposed a network stretching from Europe and the Middle East to West Africa.
He stated that those sanctioned included a France-based facilitator accused of providing information related to explosives to ISIS supporters, a Syria-based operator alleged to have used cryptocurrency to transfer funds for ISIS associates in different countries, and a Nigerian-based facilitator whose money exchange businesses reportedly served as conduits for terrorist financing.
The U.S. government subsequently released details of the three individuals and six companies designated under the sanctions programme.
Of the six companies named, three are based in Nigeria, with two located in Lagos State and one in Kano State.
The U.S. also reaffirmed its security partnership with Nigeria, highlighting cooperation between both countries in counter-terrorism operations.
Pigott referenced a joint operation carried out on May 16, 2026, which reportedly led to the killing of Abu-Bilal al-Minuki, described by authorities as the second-in-command within ISIS.
He said Washington would continue to deploy diplomatic, legal and financial measures against ISIS operatives and supporters across the world.
“We will continue to use every available tool to hold ISIS and its supporters accountable wherever they operate and however they attempt to move funds,” he said.
The sanctions were imposed under Executive Order 13224, as amended, which authorises measures against individuals and organisations accused of supporting terrorist activities.
The U.S. government further noted that ISIS, formerly known as al-Qaeda in Iraq, has remained on its list of designated global terrorist organisations since 2024.
