The Nigerian military has identified one Shariff Umar, also known as Yusuf, as the suspected ringleader of a suicide bombing network behind recent terror attacks in the North-East, including the December 24, 2025, bombing at Gamboru Market Mosque in Maiduguri.
This revelation followed a cordon-and-search operation conducted by troops of the Joint Task Force North East, Operation Hadin Kai (OPHK) on December 31, in the Kalmari area of Maiduguri, Borno State, during which 14 suspects were arrested.
According to Lt. Col. Sani Uba, Media Information Officer of OPHK, a detained suspected suicide bomber, Ibrahim Muhammad, provided intelligence that implicated Umar as the coordinator of the terror cell.
“During the investigation, a suspected suicide bomber currently in custody, Ibrahim Muhammad, unequivocally identified Shariff Umar (also known as ‘Yusuf’) as the ringleader and coordinator of the terror network,” Uba stated.
Uba explained that Umar was responsible for recruiting, preparing, and dispatching suicide bombers, as well as coordinating logistics and delivering Improvised Explosive Device (IED) components.
“Investigations further revealed that Shariff 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,” Uba said.
He added that Umar also orchestrated a foiled suicide bombing attempt in Damaturu, Yobe State, handing over IED components to another suicide bomber in Maiduguri.
The investigation further uncovered links within the suspect’s family. Umar’s wife, Yagana Modu, and his stepdaughter, Amina, were named as part of the terror network.
“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,” the statement added.
Lt. Col. Uba disclosed that all suspects remain in custody and are undergoing “intensive, multi-layered investigations aimed at fully dismantling the network.”
He called on the public to support security efforts, noting that terrorist cells often exploit silence and fear within communities.
“Timely information from law-abiding citizens remains one of the most powerful tools in preventing attacks and saving innocent lives,” he said.