Bauchi Senator Pushes Back Over Alleged Link With Bandits

Senator Shehu Buba, representing Bauchi South Senatorial District, has dismissed allegations and viral videos linking him to alleged bandit kingpins.

Buba, who is the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Livestock and Animal Husbandry and the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP) governorship candidate in Bauchi State, had faced several accusations of aiding bandits.

The fresh allegation came from a resident known as ‘Hassan,’ who, during an interview with social media influencer ‘D English Alhaji Media’ (@DEngliishalhaji), claimed that Senator Buba is among the politicians aiding bandits.

Hassan claimed that individuals linked to notorious bandit kingpin Dogo Gide were brought to Abuja for specialised training facilitated by one of the senator’s aides.

Earlier, in September 2024, Bauchi State Governor Bala Mohammed alleged that Buba, through his senior legislative aide Yahaya Ibrahim, registered and funded a suspected Zamfara bandit, Abubakar Idris, and one Zainab Gado for the Hajj pilgrimage through the Bauchi State Muslims Pilgrims Welfare Board.

The governor said operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) subsequently arrested and detained Idris after discovering his suspected involvement in banditry and kidnapping activities in Zamfara State.

The governor said Buba’s alleged complicity is empowering criminals.

Also, former Bauchi State governor, Mohammed Abdullahi Abubakar, publicly questioned the senator’s source of wealth, describing it as “blood money”.

But the senator’s legal team filed a petition against the former governor for cyberstalking and criminal defamation.

A 2025 report by Sahara Reporters accused Senator Buba of facilitating an alleged peace deal with wanted terror kingpin Bello Turji.

Buba, a former chairman of the Senate Committee on National Security, denied all the allegations, describing them as false, malicious and part of a coordinated campaign driven by financial motives and partisan interests rather than any genuine concern for truth or accountability.

He also dismissed viral videos and allegations linking him to bandit kingpins as completely fabricated.

In a statement titled “Setting the Record Straight,” the senator explained that a fact-check revealed the circulating footage combined two unrelated clips, one featuring Kaduna-based Hajj returnees who visited his residence in 2023 speaking Fulfulde, and another showing different individuals displaying passports and speaking English.

He said the clips were maliciously manipulated to falsely suggest that bandits were visiting his home.

He challenged individuals and organisations with credible evidence of wrongdoing to submit it to the appropriate authorities.

He insisted that he has nothing to hide and nothing to fear from any legitimate investigation.

He also urged his supporters not to be provoked, stressing that their focus must remain on winning the 2027 elections and offering Bauchi State a credible alternative built on service, development and security.

“Let us remain calm, disciplined and committed to the democratic process,” he said.

The senator said he initially refrained from responding to the allegations because of the sensitive nature of his previous responsibilities as Chairman of the Senate Committee on National Security and Intelligence.

According to him, national security requires discretion because publicising certain operational successes could expose sources, endanger individuals and communities, or compromise ongoing interventions.

“However, the persistent recycling of these materials, accompanied by increasingly serious allegations, makes it necessary to place the facts before Nigerians,” he said.

He also said his sponsorship of pilgrims was based on recommendations from community and religious leaders.

“These philanthropic initiatives predate current political disagreements and have benefited people from diverse backgrounds. Community and religious leaders make the recommendations, and I do not personally screen or select beneficiaries,” he said.

On national security, Buba said he had advocated a comprehensive approach combining military operations with community engagement, dialogue, intelligence gathering, deradicalisation and confidence-building.

He said Nigeria could not defeat insecurity through military force alone, stressing the need to win the trust of vulnerable communities and strengthen local intelligence networks.

Buba appealed to journalists, editors, fact-checkers, civil society organisations and opinion leaders to subject the allegations to professional scrutiny by verifying the videos, establishing the identities of those involved, reviewing court records and consulting relevant security institutions.

Meanwhile, former Minister of Youth and Sports, Solomon Dalung, has urged the DSS to clarify the status of its investigations and called on the National Assembly to initiate an independent probe into the allegations.

Dalung said political office and personal connections must not shield anyone from accountability, demanding that the senator either be publicly cleared or held responsible if concrete evidence is brought to light.
(Daily trust)