A former Chairman of the Senate Committee on National Security and Intelligence, Shehu Buba, is again facing allegations of supporting banditry as he struggles to clear his name.
Findings by Saturday PUNCH showed that Buba, who represents Bauchi South Senatorial District in the Senate, has since 2024 faced allegations of an alleged relationship with suspected bandits, accusations he has consistently denied.
The latest allegations came from a local resident simply known as ‘Hassan’, who accused the senator during an interview with social media influencer, ‘D English Alhaji Media’ (@DEngliishalhaji) of being one of the politicians aiding bandits in the area.
Hassan also alleged that individuals linked to notorious bandit kingpin, Dogo Gide, were brought to Abuja for specialised training, which was allegedly facilitated by an aide of the senator.
But Buba, in an interview published by Albarka Radio in Bauchi on Thursday, accused Hassan of being sponsored by some politicians to tarnish his reputation.
The senator disclosed that he had earlier submitted a formal petition to the Inspector General of Police, adding that four suspects had been arrested and would soon be charged.
According to him, Hassan, who he described as the primary suspect, had fled the country to Niger Republic, where he continued to run live Internet broadcasts allegedly funded by political opponents.
“Those sponsoring him cannot change destiny; if God says I will be, nobody can stop me using social media propaganda against me,” he said.
However, Saturday PUNCH was unable to independently confirm the police action on the matter as the Force Public Relations Officer, Ani Iniedu, did not answer calls or respond to messages sent to him.
The senator’s phone numbers and that of his media aide, Sabo Muhammad, were switched off for hours, while messages sent to their lines could not be delivered on Friday.
When contacted for steps taken on the development in the state, the Police Public Relations Officer in Bauchi State, Nafiu Habib, said the command could not take a position on the matter in the absence of any formal complaint or petition from the parties involved.
He said, “We have not received any petition by anyone on the said allegation, so we don’t have a stake in the matter.”
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