United States Sanctions Lagos Man and Three Currency Bureaus for ISIS Financing

The United States sanctioned Mukhtar Adamu Muhammad, a 35-year-old Lagos resident, and three associated bureaux de change on June 23 for financing ISIS. AllAfrica reported that the designations were issued by the Department of State’s Office of Foreign Assets Control under Executive Order 13224.

Muhammad, also known as Adamu Mukhtar and Muhammad Mukhtar, is listed at an address in Agege, Lagos State, and is linked directly to ISIS-West Africa.

The three sanctioned businesses are Generation Currency Bureau De Change Limited and Nine to Nine Exchange Bureau De Change Limited, both in Lagos State, and Manhattan Bureau De Change Limited in Kano State. The targeted network operates in France, Turkiye, Syria and Nigeria.

AllAfrica reported that a France-based facilitator supplied explosives information to ISIS supporters and a Syria-based operator used cryptocurrency to move funds for ISIS associates, including in the United States.

All sanctioned individuals and entities were added to the Office of Foreign Assets Control’s Specially Designated Nationals list. The designations block any U.S. assets held by the parties and prohibit transactions with American persons.

Spokesperson Thomas “Tommy” Pigott said the actions reflect the United States’ unrelenting pressure on ISIS. “Under the leadership of President Trump, the United States is dismantling ISIS’s ability to finance terrorism around the world,” Pigott stated. The Department of State noted Nigeria’s role in the May 16 operation that killed Abu-Bilal al-Minuki, the number two official in ISIS.