THE United States government has designated a Nigerian national and three companies operating in Nigeria for allegedly facilitating financial activities linked to the terrorist group, the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), as part of a broader international crackdown on the group’s funding network.
The latest sanctions targeted three individuals and six entities accused of enabling the movement of funds for ISIS operations across multiple regions of the world, including Europe, the Middle East and West Africa.
In a statement obtained by News Point Nigeria on Tuesday, the spokesperson for the U.S. Department of State, Thomas Pigott, said the designations span France, Syria, Türkiye and Nigeria, describing the affected network as one that enabled ISIS to move money across borders.
According to Pigott, the latest action exposed a far-reaching financial structure allegedly supporting ISIS activities in several countries.
“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.
“Among those designated is a France-based facilitator who provided information concerning the use of explosives to ISIS supporters, a Syria-based operator who used cryptocurrency to transfer funds on behalf of ISIS associates in multiple countries, including the United States, and a Nigeria-based facilitator whose money exchange businesses served as conduits for ISIS financing,” the statement said.
In a further update released on Monday, U.S. authorities published the identities of the three individuals and six companies affected by the sanctions.
Among those named was Nigerian national Mukhtar Adamu Muhammad, also identified as Mukhtar Adamu and Muhammad Mukhtar.
According to the U.S. authorities, Muhammad, whose listed address is No. 45 Abimbola Street, Off Capital Road, Morcas Agege, Lagos State, Nigeria, was designated under terrorism-related sanctions linked to ISIS-West Africa.
The designation listed his date of birth as August 2, 1990, with an alternative record of August 3, 1990, and identified him as a Nigerian national holding passport numbers A11904741 and A07422697.
The other individuals designated were Miloud Abderrahmane, a French national allegedly linked to ISIS financial operations, and Boukich Abdelhakim, also known by several aliases, who was identified as operating from Syria.
Apart from the Nigerian national, three of the six sanctioned companies are based in Nigeria.
The companies include Generation Currency Bureau De Change Limited, Lagos; Nine To Nine Exchange Bureau De Change Limited, Ikeja, Lagos State; and Manhattan Bureau De Change Limited, located at No. 59 Murtala Mohammed Way, Wapa, Kano.
According to the U.S. government, the three Nigerian firms were linked to Mukhtar Adamu Muhammad and an alleged ISIS financing network.
The complete list of entities added to the Specially Designated Nationals (SDN) list also included Alkaram Danismanlik Gayrimenkul Ic Ve Dis Genel Ticaret Limited Sirketi, also known as Al-Karam Company and Al-Karam Money Transfer Company, based in Istanbul, Türkiye.
Also designated was Bitcoin Exchange Agent Idlib’s No.1 Coin Exchange, a Syria-based cryptocurrency exchange operator accused of facilitating transactions on behalf of ISIS-linked associates.
Another Turkish entity, Spider Gayrimenkul Ve Genel Ticaret Limited Sirketi, also known as Spider Money Transfer Company, was similarly sanctioned.
The United States also reaffirmed its security partnership with Nigeria, noting that both countries collaborated in the May 16, 2026 operation that resulted in the killing of Abu-Bilal al-Minuki, described by U.S. authorities as the second-highest-ranking official within ISIS.
Pigott said Washington would continue deploying diplomatic, financial and legal tools to disrupt ISIS operations and hold those accused of supporting the group accountable.
“We will continue to use every diplomatic and legal tool available to hold ISIS and its supporters accountablem 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 stated.
The U.S. government said the sanctions were imposed under Executive Order 13224, as amended, which authorises measures against individuals and organisations involved in terrorism and terrorism financing.
The statement further recalled that ISIS, formerly known as al-Qa’ida in Iraq, was designated a Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT) organisation in 2004.