Chadian security forces have arrested Abdrahman Yusuf, the 18-year-old son of the late Boko Haram founder, Mohammed Yusuf, in a major breakthrough against terrorism in the Lake Chad region.

Abdrahman was captured alongside five other jihadists during a coordinated military operation. Intelligence reports revealed that the teenager was not just a recruit, but the leader of a six-man ISWAP cell, operating actively in the region.

Images from the arrest show the young militant in a blue tracksuit, standing among older detainees, bearing a striking resemblance to his father.

According to security sources, Abdrahman is also the younger brother of ISWAP’s current leader, Habib Yusuf (Abu Mus’ab Al-Barnawi). This further underscores the Yusuf family’s deep involvement in the leadership of extremist groups.

Mohammed Yusuf, Boko Haram’s founder, was captured and killed by Nigerian forces in Maiduguri back in July 2009. However, his legacy of violent extremism has continued through his sons and loyalists, fueling the decade-long insurgency across Nigeria, Chad, Niger, and Cameroon.

Abdrahman, reportedly born in Nigeria, is believed to have been indoctrinated into extremism from a young age. Over the past few years, he has risen within ISWAP ranks, becoming a field commander in the Lake Chad Basin before his arrest.

Security experts have hailed this development as a major win in the fight against insurgency, describing the arrest as a critical step towards dismantling extremist networks in the region.