Military names Shariff Umar as mastermind behind recent Northeast suicide attacks
The Military Joint Task Force, Operation Hadin Kai (OPHK), has identified Shariff Umar as the key coordinator behind a series of recent suicide bombing attempts in Nigeria’s North-East.
According to the task force, Umar played a central role in recruiting, preparing and deploying suicide bombers, while also overseeing logistics and the supply of improvised explosive device (IED) components used in the attacks.
In a statement issued on Saturday, the Media Information Officer of OPHK, Lieutenant Colonel Sani Uba, said the breakthrough followed confessions obtained from 14 suspects arrested during intelligence-led cordon-and-search operations in the Kalmari area of Maiduguri on December 31, 2025.
Uba explained that detailed investigations and profiling of the suspects helped security operatives uncover the structure, roles and operational links within the terror cell.
He disclosed that one of the suspects currently in custody, identified as Ibrahim Muhammad, directly named Shariff Umar—also known as “Yusuf”—as the ringleader coordinating the network’s activities.
“Consistent and corroborated statements established that Shariff Umar was responsible for recruiting, preparing, directing and dispatching suicide bombers to assigned targets, as well as coordinating logistics and the delivery of IED components,” Uba said.
The Military further revealed that Umar was directly linked to the suicide bombing at the Gamboru Market Mosque on December 24, 2025. During that incident, an accomplice identified as Adamu, now deceased, carried out the attack.
Umar was also named as the coordinator of a foiled suicide bombing attempt in Damaturu, where he allegedly handed over explosive components to a would-be attacker in Maiduguri.
Investigations also uncovered domestic and community-based links within the network.
Uba said Umar’s wife, Yagana Modu, was implicated during the probe, while his stepdaughter, Amina, confirmed that she had previously seen one of the suspect bombers in their residence.
“These findings have significantly strengthened the investigative trail and exposed the concealment methods often used by terrorist facilitators within communities,” the OPHK spokesman said.
He added that all suspects remain in custody and are undergoing intensive, multi-layered investigations aimed at dismantling the entire network, identifying additional collaborators and recovering any remaining explosives or logistical assets.
Uba stressed that the development underscored the importance of cooperation between security Agencies and the public, noting that terror groups often rely on silence, fear or misplaced loyalty within communities to operate.
He urged residents to remain vigilant and promptly report suspicious persons, movements or activities to security agencies, adding that sustained collaboration between OPHK troops and local communities is vital to fully rooting out terrorism and restoring lasting peace in the region.
