The source, who lives at the family home in Kaduna in northern Nigeria, said the son informed his family in the text message that he was leaving school in Dubai to move to Yemen.
The military statement said Mr Zangina was leader of Boko Haram in the "North Central part of Nigeria and co-ordinator of most of the suicide attacks and bombings in Abuja, Kaduna, Kano, Jos and Potiskum".