The Nigerian military has identified Shariff Umar, also known as Yusuf, as the principal coordinator of a suicide bombing network responsible for recent deadly attacks in the North-East, including the December 24 bombing at Gamboru Market Mosque in Maiduguri that claimed several lives.
The breakthrough followed intelligence-led cordon-and-search operations by troops of the Joint Task Force North East, Operation Hadin Kai (OPHK), in the Kalmari area of Maiduguri on December 31, 2025. During the raid, 14 suspects linked to suicide bombing activities were arrested, paving the way for detailed investigations that exposed the terror cell’s structure and operations.
A statement issued on Saturday by the Media Information Officer of OPHK, Lt. Col. Sani Uba, revealed that a detained suspected suicide bomber, Ibrahim Muhammad, directly implicated Shariff Umar during interrogation. Umar is accused of recruiting, preparing, and dispatching suicide bombers, as well as coordinating the logistics and delivery of improvised explosive device (IED) components.
According to the military, Umar personally orchestrated the Gamboru Market Mosque attack, where his accomplice, Adamu—now deceased—detonated a suicide vest. He is also blamed for organising a foiled suicide bombing attempt in Damaturu, Yobe State, by handing over IED components to the would-be bomber in Maiduguri.
Further probes uncovered involvement of Umar’s wife, Yagana Modu, and corroboration from his stepdaughter, Amina, who confirmed seeing a suspect bomber at their residence.
All 14 arrested suspects remain in custody for intensive investigations aimed at fully dismantling the network, identifying additional collaborators, and recovering remaining explosives.
OPHK urged residents to provide timely information to security forces, emphasising that community cooperation is vital in preventing attacks and disrupting terrorist hideouts within civilian areas.