Senator representing Bauchi South Senatorial District, Shehu Buba, has rejected fresh allegations linking him to banditry, describing the claims circulating online as part of a campaign aimed at damaging his reputation.
Buba, a former Chairman of the Senate Committee on National Security and Intelligence, said the allegations were based on viral videos that he claimed had been misleadingly presented as evidence of meetings with suspected bandit leaders.
The controversy followed videos circulated by a content creator known as D English Alhaji, alongside allegations made by a resident identified as Hassan Husseini. The claims alleged that individuals connected to bandit groups had visited Buba’s residence and that some had received assistance through people associated with him.
In a statement, Buba said the viral footage combined unrelated recordings. He explained that one of the videos showed people who had returned from Hajj and visited his residence in 2023, while another showed different individuals.
The senator maintained that the allegations should not be accepted simply because they appeared in widely circulated videos, insisting that claims of such magnitude should be subjected to proper investigation and supported by credible evidence.
Buba also said he had previously petitioned the Nigeria Police Force over what he described as a campaign of harassment, defamation and extortion connected to earlier videos. He disclosed that several suspects were arrested and that five people were subsequently arraigned before the Federal High Court in Abuja.
He said the case remains before the court and that he would avoid making comments that could interfere with the proceedings.
Addressing his record on security matters, Buba said his approach had always involved a combination of security operations and community-based measures. He argued that tackling insecurity requires intelligence gathering, dialogue, community engagement and cooperation with legitimate authorities alongside security operations.
The senator said some of his interventions could not be publicly disclosed because revealing details could compromise sensitive security efforts.
Buba maintained that he remained committed to supporting measures aimed at addressing insecurity and protecting communities, while urging that allegations against public officials be handled through evidence-based investigations rather than social media claims.
