By Muhammad Mamman
Chadian authorities have dealt a significant blow to Boko Haram, arresting six suspected members of the terrorist group, including a man believed to be the youngest son of its founder, Mohammed Yusuf. The suspect, Muslim Mohammed Yusuf, also known as Abdrahman Mahamat Abdoulaye, was allegedly leading a jihadist cell in Chad.
The arrests, which took place months ago, targeted a six-man cell linked to the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), a rival faction that split from Boko Haram over ideological differences, according to a Nigerian intelligence source in the Lake Chad region. The source described Muslim, 18, as the youngest son of the late Boko Haram founder, who was killed in a 2009 military crackdown in Nigeria that left approximately 800 dead.
Photos obtained by the source show a young, slender man in a blue tracksuit, bearing a striking resemblance to Mohammed Yusuf, standing alongside older suspects. A former Boko Haram lieutenant, familiar with the group’s inner workings, confirmed the arrests, telling source, “They were six in number, led by Muslim Yusuf, and apprehended by Chadian security forces.”
Chadian police spokesman Paul Manga described the detainees as “undocumented bandits” operating in the city, confirming their affiliation with Boko Haram. However, authorities have not officially verified if Muslim Yusuf was among those arrested.
Boko Haram has terrorized the Lake Chad region for over 15 years, launching increasingly bold attacks on villages and military outposts in recent months. Muslim Yusuf, who was an infant at the time of his father’s death, is the younger brother of ISWAP leader Habib Yusuf, known as Abu Mus’ab Al-Barnawi.
