Troops of the Joint Task Force North East, Operation Hadin Kai, have apprehended eight suspects linked to the December 2025 suicide bombing of a Borno mosque. The arrests follow intelligence-led cordon-and-search operations aimed at dismantling terror cells in the region.
However, tragedy struck Maiduguri on Christmas Eve 2025 when a suicide attacker infiltrated the crowded Gamboru Market mosque. As evening prayers began, an improvised explosive device (IED) ripped through the sanctuary, leaving five dead and dozens more fighting for their lives in local hospitals.
A major breakthrough in the Borno mosque bombing investigation: Operation Hadin Kai has nabbed two ‘principal suspects’ believed to be ‘key facilitators’ in the terror network. The crucial arrests were announced in a statement Monday by Lieutenant Colonel Sani Uba, the operation’s media officer.
Uba said eight suspects were arrested early Monday morning during an operation in the Yan Lemo area of Mubi South Local Government Area (LGA) in Adamawa state, Uba reported.
“A search of the suspects’ residence led to the recovery of cash, mobile phones, identification documents, ATM cards, jewellery, and other personal effects, which are currently undergoing forensic analysis to support ongoing investigations,” he said.
“During identification procedures, a suspect already in custody positively identified the two principal suspects as individuals who supplied materials used in preparing the Improvised Explosive Device (IED).
“Additional occupants of the residence were also linked to the network.
“All suspects remain in military custody, undergoing detailed interrogation to facilitate further intelligence recovery before being transferred for continued investigation.”
Following the arrest of two suspects linked to the incident, the army identified Shariff Umar as the ‘principal coordinator’ of a suicide bombing network responsible for a string of recent strikes and narrow escapes in the northeast.
