How Nigeria Alerted Chadian Authority on Identity of son of founder of Boko Haram
By: Zagazola Makama
Chadian authorities have arrested the 18-year-old son of late Boko Haram founder, Mohammed Yusuf, without initially knowing his true identity until they were alerted by Nigerian intelligence through the Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF).
Zagazola Makama gathered that the suspect, who first identified himself as Mustapha Bana Abubakar, was captured alongside five others including, Hassan Abdurrahman, suspected logistics aide, Abubakar Mohammed, alleged cell recruiter, Abubakar Ali Madou, believed to be in charge of weapons and mobility and Abdurrahman Mohammed Abdallah, a minor, suspected to have participated in operations.
They were apprehended during a counter-terrorism operation in Chad. Security sources later confirmed that he was in fact Muslim Mohammed Yusuf, the younger brother of ISWAP leader, Habib Yusuf, alias Abu Mus’ab Al-Barnawi.
According to counter-insurgency expert Zagazola Makama, who obtained exclusive photos of the arrest, Abdrahman was leading a six-man jihadist cell linked to the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP). The cell was reportedly attempting to establish a new base of operations in the Lake Chad region.
Photos showed a short, slender young man in a blue tracksuit, bearing a striking resemblance to the late Boko Haram leader, standing among older suspects.
Chadian police had earlier announced the arrest of six suspected members of ISWAP but declined to give details about their identities. It was only after Nigeria’s security agencies provided intelligence through the MNJTF that the true identity of the young suspect was revealed.
“This was no ordinary arrest,” a senior intelligence source said. “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.”
Mohammed Yusuf, founder of Boko Haram, was captured by the Nigerian military and later executed in police custody in Maiduguri on July 30, 2009. His death triggered a violent insurgency that has since spread across Nigeria and the Lake Chad Basin.
His older son, Habib Yusuf, later became leader of ISWAP, the faction that broke away from Boko Haram. Abdrahman, the younger son, is believed to have been groomed to continue the family’s militant legacy.
The arrest is being seen as another success story of intelligence sharing under the MNJTF, which brings together Nigeria, Niger, Chad, and Cameroon to combat insurgency in the Lake Chad Basin.
Without Nigeria’s input, Chadian authorities might not have realised the symbolic value of their arrest.
Analysts say the capture is both a tactical and psychological blow to ISWAP. While the cell itself was small, the involvement of a Yusuf bloodline carried symbolic weight, especially for recruitment and propaganda.
The arrest removes a potential figurehead who could have rallied new fighters. It also shows that the ideology continues to recycle within families, which makes deradicalisation and prevention more urgent.
The suspects remain in Chadian custody, and joint investigations are ongoing. They are expected to face prosecution under regional counter-terrorism frameworks.
