How Nigeria helped Chad unmasked Boko Haram founder’s son

By Lukman Abdulmalik

Chadian security forces have arrested the 18-year-old son of late Boko Haram founder, Mohammed Yusuf, in a major breakthrough against insurgency — but only after Nigerian intelligence revealed his true identity through the Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF).

The suspect, who first introduced himself as Mustapha Bana Abubakar, was captured with five others during a counter-terrorism raid in Chad.

Among those arrested were Hassan Abdurrahman, suspected to be a logistics aide; Abubakar Mohammed, an alleged cell recruiter; Abubakar Ali Madou, believed to handle weapons and mobility; and a minor, Abdurrahman Mohammed Abdallah, suspected of taking part in attacks.

Investigations later confirmed that the young man was in fact Muslim Mohammed Yusuf, younger brother of ISWAP leader Habib Yusuf, alias Abu Mus’ab Al-Barnawi.

He was said to be leading a six-man ISWAP cell attempting to establish a new base around Lake Chad — a region long scarred by jihadist violence.

For over a decade, Boko Haram and its offshoot ISWAP have unleashed waves of terror across Nigeria, Chad, Niger, and Cameroon.

In Nigeria, the 2014 Chibok abduction of more than 270 schoolgirls shocked the world, while massacres in Baga, Konduga, and Gwoza left thousands dead.

In Chad, Boko Haram fighters killed nearly 100 soldiers in a devastating attack on a military base in Boma in March 2020, one of the deadliest single assaults in the country’s history.

Countless villages have been razed, with millions displaced across the Lake Chad Basin.

Against this bloody backdrop, the arrest of Yusuf’s son carries weight far beyond the size of his cell. Security sources described him as a budding figurehead being groomed to revive his father’s legacy within ISWAP.

Exclusive images obtained showed a slim young man in a blue tracksuit, bearing a striking resemblance to the late Boko Haram founder.

Chadian police initially announced the arrest of six ISWAP suspects but withheld details. It was only after Nigerian intelligence provided critical input that the symbolic value of the capture was revealed.

“This was no ordinary arrest,” an intelligence officer explained.

“He was born before the 2009 Boko Haram uprising, grew up in the shadow of his father’s ideology, and had begun carving out his own militant cell.”

Mohammed Yusuf, Boko Haram’s founder, was captured and executed in Maiduguri in July 2009.

His death ignited a violent insurgency that has claimed over 40,000 lives and displaced millions across the region.

His elder son Habib rose to lead ISWAP after the group split from Boko Haram.

Analysts say the arrest strikes both a tactical and psychological blow to ISWAP.

While the cell itself was small, the capture of a Yusuf bloodline undermines jihadist propaganda and removes a potential rallying point for new recruits.

The suspects remain in Chadian custody and will face prosecution under regional counter-terrorism frameworks.

US commends Nigeria over arrest of Ansaru leaders

The United States has praised the Nigerian government and security agencies for the arrest of two top commanders of the Ansaru terrorist group, describing the development as a major stride in the fight against terrorism and violent extremism.

In a statement on its official X handle, the US Mission in Nigeria confirmed the suspects as Mahmud Muhammad Usman (also known as Abu Bara’a) and Mahmud al-Nigeri (also known as Mallam Mamuda).

According to the Mission, the capture of the wanted terrorists marks a significant breakthrough against Jama’atu Ansarul Muslimina fi-Biladis Sudan (Ansaru), an Al-Qaeda-linked faction that has carried out deadly attacks in Nigeria for more than a decade.

“We commend the Nigerian Government and security forces on the successful arrest of wanted Ansaru leaders, Mahmud Muhammad Usman (aka Abu Bara’a) and Mahmud al-Nigeri (aka Mallam Mamuda). This is a significant step forward in Nigeria’s fight against terrorism and extremism,” the statement read.

The Mission expressed hope that the arrests would further degrade Ansaru’s operational capacity while boosting regional and international counterterrorism collaboration.