 have identified Shariff Umar as the principal coordinator of suicide bombing activities responsible for recent attacks and foiled attempts across the North-East, dealing a significant blow to terrorist networks operating in the region.){kind=link}
Troops of Operation HADIN KAI (OPHK) have identified Shariff Umar as the principal coordinator of recent suicide bombing attacks and foiled attempts in Nigeria’s North-East.
This was disclosed in a statement by the Media Information Officer, Headquarters Joint Task Force (North East), Operation HADIN KAI, Lieutenant Colonel Sani Uba.
According to the statement, the breakthrough followed intelligence-led cordon-and-search operations conducted at the Kalmari area of Maiduguri on 31 December 2025, which led to the arrest of 14 suspects linked to suicide bombing activities.
Lieutenant Colonel Uba said subsequent investigations and identification processes revealed the structure, roles, and operational linkages of the terror network.
He stated that a suspected suicide bomber currently in custody, Ibrahim Muhammad, identified Shariff Umar, also known as Yusuf, as the ringleader and coordinator of the network.
Investigations revealed that Shariff Umar was responsible for recruiting, preparing, directing, and deploying suicide bombers to assigned targets, as well as coordinating logistics and the supply of Improvised Explosive Device (IED) components.
The statement further disclosed that Umar directly coordinated the suicide bombing attack at the Gamboru Market Mosque on 24 December 2025, during which his accomplice, Adamu, now deceased, detonated a suicide vest.
He was also identified as the coordinator of a foiled suicide bombing attempt in Damaturu and was said to have personally handed over IED components to a suicide bomber in Maiduguri.
Additional links within the network were established, including the involvement of Umar’s wife, Yagana Modu. His stepdaughter, Amina, reportedly confirmed having previously seen a suspected bomber within their residence.
The military noted that these findings exposed the domestic and community-based concealment tactics often employed by terrorist facilitators.
All suspects remain in custody and are undergoing intensive investigations aimed at dismantling the network, identifying additional collaborators, and recovering remaining explosives and logistical assets.
Operation HADIN KAI reiterated the importance of sustained cooperation between security agencies and the public, noting that terrorist elements often hide within communities.
Members of the public were urged to remain vigilant and report suspicious persons or activities to security agencies to support ongoing efforts to restore lasting peace in the region.