Authorities in Chad have detained the young son of Boko Haram’s late founder, accusing him of leading a small militant group in the country.
Muslim Mohammed Yusuf, believed to be about 18 years old, was reportedly arrested with five others suspected of belonging to an extremist cell. His father, Mohammed Yusuf, founded Boko Haram in Nigeria before being killed in 2009 during a military crackdown.
For more than a decade, Boko Haram and its offshoots have terrorized communities around Lake Chad, carrying out deadly raids on villages and military posts. In recent months, attacks have grown bolder, deepening insecurity in the region.
While Chadian police confirmed the arrest of six men linked to Boko Haram, they did not publicly identify Yusuf among them. However, a Nigerian intelligence source in the area said reports pointed to Yusuf as the leader of the group. According to the source, the cell was tied not directly to Boko Haram, but to ISWAP — a faction that split away years ago due to internal rivalries.
Photographs obtained after the arrest show a slim young man in a blue tracksuit, closely resembling the late founder’s family, standing among older suspects. Yusuf is also known to use the name Abdrahman Mahamat Abdoulaye and is said to be the younger brother of ISWAP commander Habib Yusuf, also called Abu Mus’ab Al-Barnawi.
A former member of Boko Haram, now turned critic of the group, confirmed knowledge of Yusuf’s arrest. “He and five others were captured by Chadian security forces,” he said.
Police in N’Djamena described the detainees simply as “undocumented men linked to Boko Haram” and noted that the arrest took place months ago.
Nigerian intelligence services have yet to issue an official statement on the matter.
