In a significant intelligence breakthrough, the Nigerian Military’s Operation HADIN KAI (OPHK) has identified and named the suspected mastermind coordinating a string of recent suicide bombings in the North East, including the deadly attack on Gamboru Market Mosque in Maiduguri.
The suspect, Shariff Umar (alias “Yusuf”), was pinpointed as the key coordinator of a terrorist network responsible for planning and executing suicide bombing operations across the region. This revelation followed the arrest of 14 individuals during cordon-and-search operations in the Kalmari area of Maiduguri on December 31, 2025.
According to a statement by Lieutenant Colonel Sani, Media Information Officer for the Joint Task Force North East Operation Hadin Kai, the identification was made following detailed interrogations of the detained suspects. A prime suspect, Ibrahim Muhammad, explicitly named Shariff Umar as the leader and coordinator of the network.
Investigations directly linked Umar to the suicide bombing at the Gamboru Market Mosque on December 24, 2025, which was carried out by his now-deceased associate, Adamu. He is also alleged to have orchestrated a foiled suicide bombing plot in Damaturu, having personally delivered Improvised Explosive Device (IED) components to the would-be bomber in Maiduguri.
The military’s probe further uncovered that Umar’s wife, Yagana Modu, and his stepdaughter, Amina, were aware of his activities, highlighting the use of household and community-based concealment tactics by terrorist enablers.
With the key suspect now identified and his network exposed, the military has called for increased public vigilance and cooperation. Authorities are urging citizens to report any suspicious individuals or activities to security forces immediately, emphasizing that trust and collaboration between communities and the military are vital to dismantling terrorist cells and achieving lasting peace in the region.
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