The young son of Boko Haram founder Mohammed Yusuf has been arrested in Chad, where he allegedly led a jihadist cell, according to multiple accounts cited by AFP.

Security sources said the suspect, identified as Muslim Mohammed Yusuf, was detained alongside five others in N’Djamena.

A Nigerian intelligence officer operating in the Lake Chad region told AFP the six-man cell was headed by Muslim, described as the late cleric’s youngest son and believed to be about 18 years old.

The source added the group is tied to Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), the breakaway faction that split from Boko Haram over ideological differences.

Chadian police confirmed they had arrested six Boko Haram members, but did not verify the suspect’s lineage. Police spokesman Paul Manga said the men were undocumented and “operate in the city,” noting the arrests occurred “a few months ago.”

Photos reviewed by AFP after the operation show a slender young man in a blue tracksuit standing beside older detainees, bearing a strong resemblance to Mohammed Yusuf. The suspect reportedly uses the alias Abdrahman Mahamat Abdoulaye and is a younger brother of ISWAP figure Habib Yusuf (Abu Mus’ab Al-Barnawi).

A former Boko Haram insider who served under Mohammed Yusuf—and has since denounced the group—also told AFP the youngster and five accomplices were picked up by Chadian security operatives.

The detention comes amid an uptick in raids and attacks around the Lake Chad basin, where Boko Haram and ISWAP have waged an insurgency for roughly 15 years, targeting villages and military positions across Nigeria, Chad, Niger and Cameroon. Mohammed Yusuf, who founded Boko Haram in Nigeria, was killed in 2009 during a security crackdown that left hundreds dead.

Nigeria’s counter-terrorism centre and national intelligence service have not yet commented on the reported arrest. Authorities in Chad say investigations are ongoing.