Troops of the Joint Task Force North East Operation HADIN KAI (OPHK) have recorded a major success in their counter-terrorism campaign with the identification of one Shariff Umar as the key coordinator behind recent suicide bombing attacks in the region.
In a related operation on Friday, the troops also discovered a large cache of high-calibre ammunition in the Bulumkutu Railway area of Maiduguri, highlighting the effectiveness of intelligence-driven security operations across the theatre.
The Media Information Officer of OPHK, Lt. Col. Sani Uba, disclosed these developments in a statement on Saturday in Maiduguri.
According to the statement, Umar’s identification followed an intelligence-led cordon-and-search operation carried out on December 31, 2025, in the Kalmari area of Maiduguri. During the operation, 14 suspects linked to suicide bombing activities were apprehended. Detailed investigations later uncovered the structure, roles, and operational links of the terror network.
One of the suspects, Ibrahim Muhammad, currently in custody, identified Umar—also known as Yusuf—as the ringleader responsible for recruiting, preparing, and dispatching suicide bombers to their targets. Umar was also said to oversee logistics and the supply of Improvised Explosive Device (IED) materials.
Further investigations revealed that Umar coordinated the deadly suicide attack at the Gamboru Market Mosque on December 24, 2025, where his accomplice, Adamu (now deceased), detonated an explosive vest. He was also linked to a foiled suicide bombing attempt in Damaturu, where he personally handed IED components to the attacker in Maiduguri.
