Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
The senator who once chaired the Senate Committee on National Security and Intelligence is now the subject of a security investigation. Senator Shehu Buba Umar, representing Bauchi South Senatorial District and the 2027 governorship candidate of the Peoples Redemption Party, has voluntarily submitted himself to the Department of State Services, the Nigeria Police Force, and the Defence Intelligence Agency over allegations linking him to banditry, terrorism financing, and kidnapping.
The allegations are not new. Buba said they first surfaced in 2014, were investigated and debunked, and then resurfaced in 2024 as a politically motivated smear campaign. He said the claims have now evolved into edited videos, anonymous social media posts, and insinuations that he sponsored a bandit kingpin for the 2024 Hajj through an aide. "What began as a politically motivated smear campaign against me in 2024 was forcefully debunked, and I took legal action against those behind it," Buba said at a press conference in Bauchi on Monday, September 14, 2026.
The senator's legal team, led by former Nigerian Bar Association President Yakubu Chonoko Maikyau, SAN, formally wrote to the DSS, DIA, and police requesting a comprehensive investigation. Buba said he made himself available not just to Nigerian agencies but also to international organisations, including Amnesty International, that might have concerns over the controversy. He challenged anyone with evidence connecting him to banditry, terrorism, kidnapping, or the financing of criminal groups to submit such evidence to the appropriate authorities. "Do not hide behind social media," he said. "Do not rely on edited videos, insinuations, propaganda or anonymous allegations."
Buba acknowledged that his past role as Chairman of the Senate Committee on National Security and Intelligence may have contributed to the misunderstanding. He said his official engagements with military and intelligence agencies were often confidential because of their national security implications, and that those legitimate activities had been deliberately distorted to suggest he had relationships with criminal elements. "I will not ask Nigerians simply to take my word for it," he said. "That is precisely why I have submitted myself to the relevant security agencies. Let the professionals investigate."
The senator disclosed that his legal team had also submitted documents to the security agencies, including his September 2025 petition to the Nigeria Police Force, information on pending criminal proceedings before the Federal High Court in Abuja, and a September 7, 2026, petition seeking INTERPOL intervention over one of the individuals his legal team believes is behind the allegations. Copies of the submission were forwarded to the National Security Adviser, Chief of Defence Intelligence, Chief of Defence Staff, and Minister of Defence.
Buba said he was prepared to face prosecution if investigators established a prima facie case against him based on credible and verifiable evidence. "If a competent court eventually finds me guilty, I will accept the consequences prescribed by law," he said. He appealed to his supporters to remain calm and avoid insults, threats, or violence against anyone over the matter, stressing that the allegations should be addressed through lawful channels.
The DSS had said in September 2026 that its investigation into the allegations would be made public at the appropriate time. The senator had previously challenged his accusers to provide credible evidence to the security agencies or courts. As the investigation proceeds, Buba's decision to submit himself voluntarily marks a significant escalation in a case that has already generated intense political interest. For a man who once oversaw the Senate's security and intelligence committee, the probe represents a dramatic reversal of roles—and a test of whether Nigeria's security institutions can investigate one of their own former overseers impartially.
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