Chadian security forces have detained six suspected terrorists, including Muslim Mohammed Yusuf, the teenage son of Boko Haram’s late founder, Mohammed Yusuf. According to intelligence sources, the young man was leading a jihadist cell in Chad before his capture.
Police in N’Djamena confirmed the arrests, describing the men as undocumented bandits linked to Boko Haram. Although they did not officially verify the suspect’s identity, photographs obtained after the operation show a slim teenager in a blue tracksuit, bearing a striking resemblance to his father, who was killed in a Nigerian military crackdown in 2009 that left around 800 people dead.
Sources say the arrested youth, believed to be about 18 years old, also goes by the alias Abdrahman Mahamat Abdoulaye. He is reported to be the younger brother of Habib Yusuf, better known as Abu Mus’ab Al-Barnawi, the current leader of the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP).
A former associate of Mohammed Yusuf, now a critic of the group, confirmed the development, stating: “He and his men were captured by Chadian security forces. They are six in total.”
Intelligence officials told AFP that the cell was linked not to Boko Haram directly but to ISWAP, a breakaway faction that emerged after a bitter ideological split.
For nearly 15 years, Boko Haram and its offshoots have carried out brutal attacks across the Lake Chad basin, targeting villages and military bases. The insurgency has displaced millions, killed tens of thousands, and destabilized Nigeria and its neighbors.
The latest arrest comes just days after Nigerian authorities announced the capture of another top jihadist figure, Mahmud Mohammed Usman, also known as Abu Baraa, along with his deputy, Mallam Mamuda.
With the detention of Yusuf and his associates, security experts say Chadian and Nigerian forces may have struck a significant blow against jihadist networks in the region.