A residential property in Lagos identified by the United States as belonging to a Nigerian accused of financing the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) has remained abandoned for several years, an investigation has revealed.
Residents of the quiet Agege neighbourhood said they had no knowledge of the suspect and were shocked that their community had been linked to an alleged international terrorism financing network.
When DIP CONNECT ONLINE NEWS visited No. 45 Abimbola Street, Morkaz, Agege—the address listed by the United States Department of State as the residence of alleged ISIS financier Mukhtar Adamu Muhammad—the building was found locked and showed no signs of occupancy.
The dark cream-coloured bungalow, located between houses numbered 43 and 47, appeared deserted. Its iron doors, partly sealed with concrete, were firmly shut, while rust covered the door handles. The windows remained closed, and there was no indication that anyone had recently lived in or visited the property.
The visit came only days after the United States imposed sanctions on Muhammad and three Nigerian Bureau de Change companies over their alleged involvement in an international financial network supporting ISIS.
In a statement released on June 22, 2026, the U.S. Department of State named Mukhtar Adamu Muhammad, also known as Mukhtar Muhammad, along with Generation Currency Bureau De Change Limited, Manhattan Bureau De Change Limited, and Nine to Nine Exchange Bureau De Change Limited as entities allegedly involved in moving funds for ISIS operations across West Africa and other regions.
The U.S. government listed Muhammad's address as No. 45 Abimbola Street, off Capital Road, Morkaz, Agege, Lagos State.
However, residents of Abimbola Street, situated near the well-known Markaz Islamic Centre in the densely populated Papa Ashafa area, expressed surprise over the allegations.
Many residents gathered in small groups discussing the development, describing it as the biggest story ever associated with their street and expressing disbelief that their community had attracted global attention for such reasons.
Some residents claimed that the last occupants left the building about two years ago. However, this information could not be independently verified, and there was no evidence linking those occupants to Muhammad.
There were also no visible signs that the property had been occupied in recent times.
Identifying the building proved difficult because, unlike neighbouring houses, it had no visible house number. A resident, who requested anonymity for security reasons, eventually assisted in locating the correct property.
Two nearby provision stores were open for business, but both shop owners declined to comment, insisting they had no knowledge of the matter.
Abimbola Street connects several major roads, including Markaz Road, Oniwaya Road, Owo Street, Adenle Street, Taiwo Dada Street, and Ayeni Street. The area is also home to the popular Harisiyya Mosque, widely known as the White Mosque, along with several other neighbourhood prayer centres.
A 58-year-old food vendor identified simply as Hajia said she found it difficult to believe the allegations.
"This area is mainly occupied by Hausa people, but I have never seen anything that would suggest criminal activities or terrorist operations here.
"What surprised me the most is how America even knew Abimbola Street and the exact house number. I am standing at Number 44 now, but I don't know anybody called Muhammad Mukhtar. I have lived here for six years," she said.
Another resident, Alhaji Suleiman Tijani, who has lived in the community for about 10 years, described the neighbourhood as peaceful.
"There has never been any history of violence or radical activities here. This is a quiet community.
"That particular house has been unoccupied for a long time. Sometimes, I noticed people would come around to clean the place, stay for a few days and leave, but they have never carried out any act that could raise suspicion," he said.
Tijani, however, noted that police patrols had increased in the area shortly after the U.S. announcement.
"You know Markaz attracts important personalities regularly, and security operatives often accompany them.
"But on Tuesday, I noticed police patrol vans passing through this area about four different times. They simply drove around; nobody was arrested and no resident was questioned."
Another resident, identified simply as Auwal, said he initially dismissed the reports until he heard them during a newspaper review programme on the radio.
"I thought it was just another rumour. I know the Americans have sophisticated technology for tracking people, but I never imagined our street, which has never had any history of violence, could be mentioned in connection with terrorism financing."
He expressed concern that innocent residents could become victims of indiscriminate security operations.
"My fear is that security agencies may start coming here to arrest innocent residents while searching for this person," he said.
Not everyone in the neighbourhood was aware of the allegations.
A fashion designer, Mrs. Angela Nwoboku, said she first learnt about the development .
"I had not heard about it before now because nobody informed me, and I have not seen it in the news. I have not noticed any change in this area. Everything has remained the way it has always been. People go about their normal businesses peacefully."
She credited the peaceful atmosphere in the community to the presence of the Markaz Islamic Centre.
"I think the Muslim school here, Markaz, has actually made this area peaceful and calm. We have always lived together without problems."
While urging residents not to jump to conclusions, she appealed to security agencies to thoroughly investigate the allegations.
"I want the government to carry out proper due diligence and establish whether the owners or occupants of that house truly have anything to do with terrorism. It is important that innocent people are not wrongly labelled because of where they live," she added.
Lagos Government Rules Out Demolition
Reacting to the development, the Lagos State Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Gbenga Omotoso, said the state government has no intention of demolishing the property identified by the United States.
He explained that issues relating to terrorism and national security fall under the jurisdiction of federal security agencies.
"The issue is beyond the Lagos State Government," he said.
EFCC, DSS Yet to Arrest Suspects
DIP CONNECT ONLINE NEWS gathered that although investigations by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Department of State Services (DSS) are at an advanced stage, none of the suspects has been arrested.
Sources disclosed that both agencies had substantially concluded their investigations before the U.S. imposed sanctions, but the suspects had not yet been taken into custody as of Saturday.
A senior security official, who spoke anonymously because he was not authorised to comment publicly, said investigators are actively tracking the suspects and their associates.
According to the official, terrorism financing investigations are complex because the networks often operate across several countries.
"Terrorism financing cases are very complex. The networks are global and have to be trailed to identify their local collaborators. It's not a press-button thing. We are still on it.
"Those sanctioned by the U.S. are yet to be arrested and are not in the custody of any Nigerian security agency, but everything about them is known to the EFCC and DSS, which investigated them," the source said.
Responding to concerns that the suspects could escape, the official insisted there was little chance of that happening.
"There's no hiding place. The world is a global village," the official added.
Sources also disclosed that the EFCC had already completed investigations into Muhammad and the three Bureau de Change companies before the U.S. sanctions were announced and was preparing criminal charges.
"We investigated these individuals and the BDC companies for terrorism financing and were preparing charges against them when the U.S. sanctioned them," an EFCC source said.
Although the EFCC has not issued an official statement, officials familiar with the investigation said the probe focused on alleged terrorism financing, suspicious financial transactions, and possible links to terrorist activities. The commission has yet to announce when formal charges will be filed.
Companies Still Listed by CAC
Checks on the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) portal showed that Generation Currency Bureau De Change Limited was incorporated in Lagos on January 24, 2019, but is currently listed as inactive.
Manhattan Bureau De Change Limited was incorporated on March 1, 2021, and remains active, while Nine to Nine Exchange Bureau De Change Limited was registered on January 8, 2018, and is also listed as inactive.
Although the CAC portal does not disclose the identities of company directors, further checks on the company search platform NG-Check.com revealed that Adamu Muhammad Mukhar and Chiroma Adamu are listed as directors of the three companies.
The records also identify Mukhar as the company secretary, while Adamu Chiroma Fatima and Adamu Chiroma Maryam are listed as shareholders.
ADEOLA KUNLE
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