News
Face of North East’s Suicide Bombers Ringleader
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.
•Shariff Umar/ Operation HADIN KAI photo
Operation HADIN KAI (OPHK) has made a major breakthrough in its sustained counter-terrorism operations with the identification of Shariff Umar as the principal coordinator of suicide bombing activities responsible for recent attacks and attempted attacks within the North East.
This development followed intelligence-led cordon-and-search operations conducted at the Kalmari area of Maiduguri on 31 December 2025, during which 14 suspects linked to suicide bombing activities were arrested.
Subsequent detailed identification and investigative processes established the structure, roles, and operational linkages 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.
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.
Investigations further revealed that Shariff 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 identified as the coordinator of the foiled suicide bombing attempt in Damaturu, personally handing over IED components to the suicide bomber in Maiduguri.
Additional links within the network were established, including the involvement of Shariff Umar’s wife, Yagana Modu, and the confirmation by his stepdaughter, Amina, who admitted to previously seeing the suspect bomber within their residence.
These findings significantly strengthened the investigative trail and exposed the domestic and community-based concealment methods employed by terrorist facilitators.
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.
OPHK underscores that this success once again highlights the critical importance of effective collaboration between security forces and the civil populace.
Terrorist networks often survive by hiding within communities, exploiting silence, fear, or misplaced loyalty.
Timely information from law-abiding citizens remains one of the most powerful tools in preventing attacks and saving innocent lives.
Members of the public are therefore strongly urged to remain vigilant and report suspicious persons, movements, or activities to security agencies.
Cooperation and trust between the military and local communities are essential to completely rooting out terrorism and restoring lasting peace across the region.
News
PAACA Thumbs Up Protest over Senate’s Rejection of Electronic Transmission of Election Results
PACCA emphasised that the conversation should go beyond the election transmission of results to cover collation and more in depth involvement of political parties .
• Peter Obi address the protesters in front of the National Assembly
The Executive Director of the Peering Advocacy and Advancement Centre in Africa (PAACA), Ezenwa Nwagwu, has described the protest around the transmission of election results in real-time as a step in the right direction.
Nwagwu made the declaration during an interview with ARISE NEWS on Monday.
“The current agitation that we have seen around the electoral act amendment is positive.
Positive in the sense that we have continued to ask for more and more citizen oversight over governance, over the activities of those who govern us,” he said.
PACCA emphasised that the conversation should go beyond the election transmission of results to cover collation and more in depth involvement of political parties
The Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE) has voiced strong concern over the Senate’s recent stance on the transmission of election results in the ongoing Electoral Act amendment process, warning that it is eroding public trust ahead of the 2027 general elections.
In a press statement, the NGE described the Senate’s decision to retain non-mandatory provisions—similar to those in the 2022 Electoral Act—as a step backward that fosters doubt and mistrust in Nigeria’s electoral system.
The group highlighted widespread public outrage, noting that the position contradicts the demands of most Nigerians and many lawmakers for compulsory, real-time electronic transmission from polling units to INEC’s central server and collation centres.
The NGE emphasized that mandatory and immediate transmission has become a global standard for enhancing transparency, efficiency, accuracy, and voter confidence while reducing fraud and disputes.
At a time when other democracies are advancing digital reforms, Nigeria risks missing a key opportunity to strengthen electoral integrity and democratic governance, the statement said.
With the National Assembly set to harmonize positions between the Senate and House of Representatives tomorrow (February 10, 2026), the Guild called on lawmakers to approve mandatory real-time transmission in the final bill.
Anything less, it warned, would be out of step with progressive electoral practices and could further discourage voter participation while undermining confidence that votes will count.
The statement comes amid broader backlash following the Senate’s February 4 passage of the Electoral Act (Amendment) Bill 2026, which rejected proposals for compulsory e-transmission, prompting criticism from civil society, opposition parties, labour unions, and other stakeholders.
The Court of Appeal in Abuja has upheld the Nigerian Senate’s suspension of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, representing Kogi Central, ruling that the upper chamber acted within its constitutional powers.
In a judgment delivered on Monday, February 9, 2026, the appellate court affirmed the Senate’s authority to discipline its members, including through suspension.
However, the court set aside related contempt proceedings and vacated a ₦5 million fine previously imposed on the senator over a satirical apology she issued.
The decision partially resolves a protracted legal dispute stemming from the Senate’s six-month suspension of Akpoti-Uduaghan in early 2025, following allegations of misconduct during plenary sessions.
The ruling comes amid ongoing appeals, with aspects of the case potentially headed to the Supreme Court as both sides have challenged lower court decisions.
In a separate development, President Bola Tinubu held a closed-door meeting last night (Sunday, February 8, 2026) with Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara and Minister of the Federal Capital Territory Nyesom Wike at the Aso Rock Presidential Villa in Abuja.
The late-night talks, confirmed by presidency sources and reported across multiple outlets, focused on efforts to resolve the lingering political crisis in Rivers State.
The meeting is seen as a fresh intervention by the president to foster reconciliation between the governor and his predecessor, amid tensions that have disrupted governance in the oil-rich state.
Details of the discussions remain limited, but sources indicate Governor Fubara later accompanied Wike to his residence in Guzape, Abuja, signaling possible progress toward de-escalation.
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Larry Thomas
January 6, 2026 at 2:33 am
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