The United States government has placed sanctions on a Nigerian citizen and three companies operating in Nigeria over allegations that they helped facilitate financial transactions linked to the terrorist organisation, the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS).
The action forms part of a broader crackdown targeting three individuals and six entities accused of supporting ISIS’s global financial network.
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In a statement issued on Monday, U.S. Department of State spokesperson, Thomas Pigott, said the latest sanctions affect individuals and organisations based in France, Syria, Türkiye, and Nigeria.
The Nigerian named in the designation is Mukhtar Adamu Muhammad, who authorities allege is connected to ISIS operations in West Africa.
According to the statement, one of the affected businesses is Generation Currency Bureau de Change Limited, which U.S. authorities claim was linked to Muhammad and the ISIS financial network.
Two additional Nigerian firms were also sanctioned: Manhattan Bureau de Change Limited, based in Kano, and Nine to Nine Exchange Bureau de Change Limited, located in Lagos. Both companies were accused of serving as channels for financial transactions connected to ISIS.
Pigott described the targeted network as a sophisticated operation used to transfer funds across multiple countries in support of ISIS activities.
“Today’s sanctions target three individuals and six entities operating across Europe, the Middle East, and West Africa who enabled ISIS to move money across international borders,” the statement said.
The U.S. government alleged that the network stretched from France and Syria to Türkiye and Nigeria. It identified a France-based operative accused of sharing information on explosives with ISIS supporters, a Syria-based facilitator allegedly involved in cryptocurrency transfers for ISIS associates, and a Nigerian operator whose currency exchange businesses were said to have functioned as financial channels for the group.
In a separate update released on Monday, U.S. authorities published the identities of all three individuals and six organisations affected by the sanctions.
Of the six designated companies, three are based in Nigeria, including two located in Lagos State and one in Kano State.
The United States also reaffirmed its security partnership with Nigeria, noting that both countries collaborated in the May 16, 2026, operation that led to the death of Abu-Bilal al-Minuki, described as ISIS’s second-highest-ranking commander.
Pigott stated that Washington would continue deploying diplomatic, legal, and financial measures against ISIS and those accused of supporting the group.
“We will continue to use every diplomatic and legal instrument available to hold ISIS and its backers accountable, regardless of where they operate or how they move funds,” he said.
He added that the U.S. remains committed to safeguarding its citizens, protecting religious minorities, and working alongside international partners to counter the threat posed by ISIS.
The sanctions were imposed under Executive Order 13224, as amended. The statement also noted that ISIS, previously known as al-Qa’ida in Iraq, was designated a Specially Designated Global Terrorist organisation in 2004.
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