The death of Muhammad Yusuf, a notorious Boko Haram child soldier named after the founder of Boko Haram, has been confirmed by multiple sources.

According to reports, Yusuf was killed by a military bombing near the insurgents’ Bukar Mairam enclave in Marte Local Government Area of Borno State a few days ago.

Yusuf was a commander in Bukar Mairam before his death, with the title of Rijal Amne (Trustworthy man).

Goni Maina, the boy’s father, was the former commander (governor of Lake Chad) of the Islamic State of West Africa terrorist group. Maina was killed in an air raid carried out by the Nigerian Army and Air Force in December 2020.

More than 100 militants, including several high-ranking insurgent commanders, foot soldiers, and Hisbah police from the ISWAP faction, late Abubakar Shekau faction, and foreign mercenaries, were killed in the air raid at the time.

After Amir Baba Kaka’s authority was overthrown by other Boko Haram commanders in July 2020, Yusuf’s father was appointed governor of Lake Chad.

Before becoming governor, Maina served in the terrorist group as a khadi (judge). His rule came to an end on December 1, 2020, when military airstrikes killed him.

His son, Yusuf, was reportedly appointed commander after his death, according to sources.

The recruitment and use of Boko Haram Child Soldiers is nothing new, and the Nigerian Army have recently consolidated this statement by stating that the terrorists’ actions had been a long-standing practice in terrorism around the world.

The Nigerian Army made the statement while reacting to a video released by Boko Haram/ISWAP terrorists published by the SITE Intelligence Group, which monitors jihadi activities.

In the video, according to the report, a man dressed in a Nigerian Army outfit, claiming to be a member of the army’s special forces, was shot twice in the head by a 12-year-old child.

Read more on recruitment of Boko Haram child soldiers HERE.