Suicide Bombings: JTF Identifies Key Network Coordinator in North-East

The Joint Task Force North East, Operation HADIN KAI (OPHK), has announced a major breakthrough in its counter-terrorism campaign with the identification of Shariff Umar as the principal coordinator of suicide bombing operations linked to recent attacks in the region.

The disclosure came as troops of the task force also uncovered a large cache of high-calibre ammunition in the Bulumkutu Railway general area of Maiduguri metropolis on Friday, further underscoring the impact of intelligence-driven security operations across the theatre.

The developments were revealed in a statement issued on Saturday in Maiduguri by the Media Information Officer of OPHK, Lt. Col. Sani Uba.

According to the statement, Umar’s identification followed “intelligence-led cordon-and-search operations conducted at the Kalmari area of Maiduguri on 31st December 2025,” during which 14 suspects linked to suicide bombing activities were arrested. Subsequent investigations, the military said, helped establish the structure, roles and operational connections 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,” the statement said.

It added that “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.”

Investigators further established that 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.” He was also named as the coordinator of the foiled suicide bombing attempt in Damaturu, where he allegedly handed over IED components to a bomber in Maiduguri.

The statement also disclosed additional links within the network, including the alleged involvement of Umar’s wife, Yagana Modu, and confirmation by his stepdaughter, Amina, who reportedly admitted to seeing the suspect bomber in their residence.

“These findings significantly strengthened the investigative trail and exposed the domestic and community-based concealment methods employed by terrorist facilitators,” OPHK said.

“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,” the statement added.

The task force stressed the importance of community cooperation, noting that “terrorist networks often survive by hiding within communities, exploiting silence, fear or misplaced loyalty,” and that timely information from citizens remains vital to preventing attacks.

In a related development, OPHK said troops uncovered a significant cache of high-calibre ammunition in the Bulumkutu Railway area of Maiduguri, a discovery it said further validates the effectiveness of sustained, intelligence-led operations in the North-East.

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