Sunday, January 4, 2026 - Troops of Joint Task Force North East ‘Operation HADIN KAI’ (OPHK) have identified Shariff Umar as the principal coordinator of recent su!cide bombings within the region.
The Media Information Officer, Joint Task Force North East
‘Operation HADIN KAI’, Lt. Col. Sani Uba, disclosed this in a statement
released on Saturday, January 3.
On the identification of Umar as the principal coordinator
of suicide bombing activities, the statement said
“This
development followed intelligence-led cordon-and-search operations conducted at
the Kalmari area of Maiduguri on 31st December 2025, during which 14 suspects
linked to su!cide bombing activities were arrested. Subsequent detailed
identification and investigative processes established the structure, roles,
and operational linkages of the terror cell.
During the
investigation, a suspected su!cide bomber currently in custody, Ibrahim
Muhammad, unequivocally identified Shariff Umar (also known as “Yusuf”) as the
ringleader and coordinator of the terror network. According to consistent and
corroborated statements, Shariff Umar was responsible for recruiting,
preparing, directing, and dispatching suicide bombers to assigned targets, as
well as coordinating logistics and delivery of Improvised Explosive Device
(IED) components.
Investigations
further revealed that Shariff Umar directly coordinated the su!cide bombing
attack at the Gamboru Market Mosque on 24 December 2025, during which his
accomplice, Adamu (now deceased), detonated a su!cide vest. He was also
identified as the coordinator of the foiled su!cide bombing attempt in
Damaturu, personally handing over IED components to the su!cide bomber in
Maiduguri.
Additional
links within the network were established, including the involvement of Shariff
Umar’s wife, Yagana Modu, and the confirmation by his stepdaughter, Amina, who
admitted to previously seeing the suspect bomber within their residence. These
findings significantly strengthened the investigative trail and exposed the
domestic and community-based concealment methods employed by terrorist
facilitators.
All suspects
remain firmly in custody and are undergoing intensive, multi-layered
investigations aimed at fully dismantling the network, identifying additional
collaborators, and recovering any remaining explosives or logistical assets.
OPHK
underscores that this success once again highlights the critical importance of
effective collaboration between security forces and the civil populace.
Terrorist networks often survive by hiding within communities, exploiting
silence, fear, or misplaced loyalty. Timely information from law-abiding
citizens remains one of the most powerful tools in preventing attacks and
saving innocent lives''
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