Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
Senator Shehu Buba, representing Bauchi South Senatorial District, has firmly dismissed fresh allegations and viral videos linking him to bandit kingpins and the sponsorship of banditry in northern Nigeria, describing the claims as completely fabricated, malicious, and part of a coordinated political campaign to destroy his reputation ahead of the 2027 gubernatorial election. Buba, who is the Peoples Redemption Party governorship candidate in Bauchi State and Chairman of the Senate Committee on Livestock and Animal Husbandry, broke his silence on Sunday, September 6, 2026, accusing political opponents of using manipulated videos and false narratives to discredit him since 2024.
The allegations, which have been circulating widely on social media, claim that high-profile bandit leaders visited Buba's residence and that he sponsored some of them to undertake the hajj pilgrimage. The controversy intensified in August 2026 when a content creator known as "D English Alhaji" circulated videos allegedly showing bandit kingpins at Buba's residence. In a detailed statement titled "Setting the Record Straight: My Response to Fabricated Videos, False Allegations and a Sustained Campaign of Disinformation," the senator provided a point-by-point rebuttal. He explained that a fact-check of the videos revealed they were a combination of two unrelated clips maliciously edited to create a false impression. According to Buba, one clip showed Kaduna-based Hajj returnees who visited his residence in 2023 speaking Fulfulde, while another showed different individuals displaying passports and speaking English—contradicting claims that the footage showed bandits visiting him.
"Modern disinformation thrives on recycling old allegations, editing them, attaching new captions and redistributing them until repetition masquerades as evidence," Buba stated. He challenged anyone with credible evidence linking him to criminal activities to submit it to the appropriate security agencies, insisting that he has "nothing to hide and nothing to fear from any legitimate investigation."
Buba traced the origins of the controversy to September 2024, when he condemned the alleged killing of two charcoal sellers by a militia group said to be working as hunters for the Bauchi State Agency for Vigilante and Youth Empowerment. Following his intervention, the Bauchi State Commissioner for Internal Security and Home Affairs publicly linked his name to banditry—an allegation he rejected as false. Subsequently, Governor Bala Mohammed petitioned President Bola Tinubu, alleging that Buba had sponsored a "bandit kingpin" to perform the 2024 Hajj through an aide named Yahaya Ibrahim. Buba categorically denied having any aide by that name and invited security agencies to investigate.
The senator also disclosed that a young man named Hassan Husseini, who was introduced to him in 2024 as an orphan requiring educational assistance, was behind the circulation of some of the materials. Buba said he enrolled Husseini in a private college and Islamic school in Kaduna and bought him a bicycle, but the young man later abandoned his education and requested money to start a car dealership. "I declined and advised him to return to school. I later discovered that, while under my care, he had recorded photographs and videos of visitors to my residence. These materials later formed the basis of allegations circulated on social media," Buba explained.
Buba has taken legal action against those behind the allegations. He filed a defamation suit before the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory and submitted a criminal complaint to the Public Prosecutor at the Tribunal of First Instance in Niamey, Niger Republic, seeking the prosecution of Hassan Saleh Hussein for defamation and insult through electronic communication. He also petitioned the Inspector-General of Police in September 2025 after those circulating the materials allegedly demanded money from him, leading to the arraignment of five suspects before Justice Rita Ofili-Ajumogobia of the Federal High Court, Abuja, on charges including criminal conspiracy, cyberstalking, criminal defamation, advance-fee fraud and extortion. The next hearing is scheduled for September 29, 2026.
Buba, a former Chairman of the Senate Committee on National Security and Intelligence, said he initially refrained from responding to the allegations because of the sensitive nature of his previous responsibilities. "National security requires discretion because publicising certain operational successes could expose sources, endanger individuals and communities, or compromise ongoing interventions," he explained. He noted that his two-year tenure as committee chairman involved legislative oversight, intelligence, security policy and engagement with communities affected by insecurity, and that he advocated a combination of military operations and non-kinetic measures. "Nigeria cannot defeat insecurity by military force alone. Sustainable security requires winning the trust of vulnerable communities, strengthening local intelligence networks and creating pathways for cooperation with legitimate authorities," Buba said.
The senator rejected suggestions that his engagement with individuals and communities in security-related matters amounted to association with criminals, saying his previous Senate assignment required contacts and interventions that could not always be publicly disclosed. He also clarified that 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.
Buba urged his supporters not to be provoked by the allegations, stressing that their focus must remain on winning the 2027 elections and offering Bauchi State a credible alternative built on service, development and security. "My decision to leave the All Progressives Congress for the Peoples Redemption Party, under whose platform I am pursuing my gubernatorial aspiration, should be debated on policies, competence and vision, not on fabricated allegations," he stated. "I welcome scrutiny, but scrutiny must be fair. There is a difference between investigation and fabrication, between criticism and blackmail, and between political opposition and deliberate character assassination."
The Bauchi State Police Command said it had not received a formal complaint concerning the latest allegations and could therefore not take a position. Meanwhile, the Department of State Services has previously investigated the matter and indicated that its findings would be published later. As the legal battles continue and the 2027 elections draw nearer, Senator Shehu Buba faces a relentless campaign to tarnish his reputation—but he insists that the facts, not propaganda, will ultimately prevail. "I will continue to defend my name through lawful means. More importantly, I will continue the work that has defined my public life: serving my constituents, supporting those in need and contributing to the peace and security of our nation," he declared.
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