Boko Haram founder’s youngest son arrested in Chad

Security forces in Chad have arrested Muslim Mohammed Yusuf, the youngest son of Boko Haram founder Mohammed Yusuf, on allegations of leading a jihadist cell linked to the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP).

Intelligence sources and a former insurgent confirmed to AFP that the 18-year-old was captured along with five other suspected militants.

Reports indicate that the arrests specifically targeted a cell affiliated with ISWAP, the Boko Haram offshoot that broke away from the group due to ideological differences.

The Islamist group Boko Haram has terrorised the Lake Chad region for more than 15 years, mounting frequent attacks on villages and military bases.

Chadian police confirmed detaining six Boko Haram members but did not specify if one was Yusuf.

A Nigerian intelligence source in the Lake Chad region said the arrested cell was headed by Muslim Mohammed Yusuf, who was an infant when his father was killed in a 2009 military crackdown that left roughly 800 people dead.

Photos obtained by AFP show a young, short, and slender man in a blue tracksuit, bearing a striking resemblance to Yusuf.

He is reportedly the younger brother of ISWAP leader Habib Yusuf, alias Abu Mus’ab Al-Barnawi, and uses the alias Abdrahman Mahamat Abdoulaye.

A former lieutenant of Mohammed Yusuf, who has since denounced Boko Haram, confirmed the arrest of Muslim Yusuf and his five associates.

Chadian police spokesman Paul Manga said the detainees were “bandits who operate in the city… they are undocumented, they are members of Boko Haram” and added that the arrests occurred “a few months ago.”

Nigeria’s counter-terrorism and intelligence agencies had not responded to AFP’s request for comment.