Eight Nigerians have been hit with United States sanctions over alleged connections to terrorism financing and cyber-related crimes.
The sanctions, announced by the US Department of the Treasury through its Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), place the individuals on an extensive sanctions register running into thousands of pages and featuring names from several countries. As a result, any assets belonging to the affected Nigerians within U.S. jurisdiction have been blocked, and American citizens and businesses are prohibited from engaging in financial dealings with them.
The same proposal also mentioned organisations such as the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN), Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore, and armed Fulani nomadic groups as entities of concern.
In addition, the lawmakers urged the U.S. Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, to submit yearly assessments on the state of religious freedom in Nigeria and to evaluate whether American support to the country could be indirectly contributing to religious repression.
They also called on Nigerian authorities to review the enforcement of blasphemy and Sharia-based penalties, recommending investigations into such cases and possible legal reforms.
According to the proposal, continued religious violence and militant activity in Nigeria could undermine stability in West Africa, threaten fundamental rights, and pose broader risks to international security interests.
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