The Back Story of When the US Named Six Nigerians as Terror Sponsors from the UAE

In 2022, the United States government drew global attention when it sanctioned six Nigerians found guilty in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) for funding Boko Haram. 

What began as a quiet investigation in Dubai soon became a public example of how international cooperation could expose the secret money trails that keep terrorism alive.

The six men, Abdurrahman Ado Musa, Salihu Yusuf Adamu, Bashir Ali Yusuf, Muhammed Ibrahim Isa, Ibrahim Ali Alhassan, and Surajo Abubakar Muhammad were accused of using their stay in the UAE to move funds intended to support Boko Haram’s violent campaign in Nigeria. 

Reports revealed that they tried to transfer about $782,000 from Dubai to Nigeria, money meant to strengthen the group’s operations back home.

The U.S. Treasury Department, through its Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), took swift action. Under Executive Order 13224, which targets terrorists and their supporters, the six men were formally designated as global terror financiers. 

The move meant that any assets they owned in the United States or under U.S. control would be immediately frozen. It also made it illegal for any American individual or company to do business with them.

At the time, the U.S. said its decision was part of a joint effort with the UAE to shut down financial networks that help extremist groups survive. The UAE’s authorities had already arrested and convicted the men, two received life sentences, while the other four got 10 years in prison followed by deportation. 

According to U.S. officials, these convictions proved that the UAE was serious about cutting off terrorist funding streams.

Speaking after the sanctions were announced, Brian Nelson, the U.S. Under Secretary of the Treasury for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence, explained that the action was designed to make it harder for Boko Haram and similar groups to move money across borders. 

“The United States joins the UAE in targeting terrorist financing networks of mutual concern,” he said, stressing that both countries were committed to stopping funds from reaching violent extremists.

The move also came at a time when Nigeria was under growing U.S. scrutiny. Then-President Donald Trump had placed Nigeria on a list of “Countries of Particular Concern,” citing issues of religious violence, human rights abuses, and the growing influence of terrorist organizations in the region. 

The U.S. believed that some of the financing behind these groups flowed through foreign networks, including individuals based in the Middle East.

The sanctions didn’t just stop at the six Nigerians. The Treasury also announced broader measures against individuals and organizations linked to human rights abuses in Myanmar, underlining its global focus on cutting off financial support for both terrorism and state violence.

For Nigeria, the case was a sharp reminder of how terrorism extends beyond its borders. Boko Haram, officially listed by the U.S. as a Foreign Terrorist Organization in 2013, has been responsible for countless attacks across the country and neighboring nations such as Chad, Niger, and Cameroon. 

The group’s access to funding has long been a major reason it continues to operate despite military pressure.

More than two years later, the story of these six men is rarely discussed, yet it remains one of the most significant examples of how financial systems can be weaponized, and how global collaboration is vital in shutting down the flow of money to violent groups.