Boko Haram founder's son reportedly in blue tracksuit (2nd from left) | Photo: Zagazola Makama
An 18-year-old believed to be the son of late Mohammed Yusuf, founder of Boko Haram, and five other suspected terrorists, have been arrested in Chad.
They were arrested during a counter-terrorism operation by Chadian authorities.
According to Zagazola Makama, a counter-insurgency publication, the other suspects are Hassan Abdurrahman, suspected logistics aide; Abubakar Mohammed, alleged cell recruiter; Abubakar Ali Madou; member in charge of weapons and mobility; Abdurrahman Mohammed Abdallah, a minor suspected to have participated in operations.
The suspects, linked to the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), were reportedly planning to establish a new base in the Lake Chad region.
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The publication said the son of late Yusuf, whose real name is Muslim Mohammed Yusuf, initially identified himself as Mustapha Bana Abubakar.
The publication reported that his identity was initially unknown after the arrest until the Chadian authorities were informed by Nigerian intelligence through the Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF).
Pictures of the suspects obtained by the publication show a short and slender young man in a blue tracksuit, bearing a striking resemblance to the late Boko Haram leader.
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The suspects will remain in Chadian custody and are expected to face prosecution after investigations.
“This was no ordinary arrest. He was born in Nigeria before the 2009 uprising, groomed into militancy, and had begun to carve out his own cell to prove his worth within ISWAP,” a senior intelligence officer told Zagazola Makama.
Security analysts said the involvement of the bloodline of the late Boko Haram founder in recruitment and propaganda bear symbolic weight.
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Yusuf was captured by the Nigerian military and later killed in police custody in Maiduguri, the Borno state capital, on July 30, 2009.
