Senator Shehu Buba denies banditry and terrorism allegations, says he is ready for a DSS probe

Senator Shehu Buba Umar, who represents Bauchi South, on Monday categorically denied allegations linking him to banditry, terrorism financing and kidnapping, and said he had voluntarily submitted himself to the Department of State Services for a full investigation.

Speaking in Bauchi, Buba said months of silence — which he attributed to the sensitivity of his former brief as chairman of the Senate Committee on National Security and Intelligence, and to matters already before a court — were no longer tenable. “The allegations repeatedly circulated against me have reached a point where silence is no longer sufficient,” he said.

The claims, which have circulated since 2024 and flared again this month through videos promoted by a social-media presenter known as D English Alhaji, include allegations that bandit kingpins visited the senator’s residence, that an aide named Yahaya Ibrahim sponsored a kingpin to the 2024 Hajj, and that politicians around him aided associates of the bandit leader Dogo Gide. Governor Bala Mohammed of Bauchi had earlier petitioned President Bola Tinubu on the Hajj claim.

Buba rejected every count. He said he has no aide by that name, that his Hajj sponsorships and medical outreaches are recommended by community and religious leaders, and that a fact-check of one viral clip showed two unrelated videos spliced together: Kaduna Hajj returnees who visited him in 2023 speaking Fulfulde, and a separate group displaying passports in English. “I have never sponsored, financed, armed, facilitated or supported banditry, terrorism, kidnapping or any criminal organisation or activity whatsoever. I have nothing to hide, and I have nothing to fear from any legitimate investigation,” he said.

He said his legal team, led by former NBA president Y.C. Maikyau, SAN, had already placed him before the DSS, and that he had petitioned the Inspector-General of Police. Four people were previously arraigned in 2025 on charges including cyberstalking and defamation over earlier broadcasts; they pleaded not guilty. A further hearing is listed for 29 September.

This newspaper reports the denial because it is news. It does not clear the senator, and it does not convict him. Public officials who sit on security committees must expect scrutiny. Viral video is not a verdict. The proper place for both the allegation and the defence is an investigation that publishes its findings — not a WhatsApp group.

I have never sponsored, financed, armed, facilitated or supported banditry, terrorism, kidnapping or any criminal organisation.