ABUJA — Senator Shehu Buba, representing Bauchi South Senatorial District, has denied allegations linking him to bandit kingpins and sponsoring banditry in northern Nigeria, describing the claims as fabricated and politically motivated.
Buba, who is the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP) governorship candidate in Bauchi State, said the allegations circulating online claimed that some high-profile bandit leaders had visited his residence and that he sponsored some of them to undertake the hajj pilgrimage.
In a statement issued on Sunday in Abuja, the senator said he had been subjected to what he described as propaganda, false narratives and manipulated videos since 2024.
He said he had taken legal action against individuals behind the allegations in courts in Nigeria and Niamey, Niger Republic.
“These claims must be subjected to proper evidentiary standards—not accepted merely because they appear in a viral video,” Buba said.
He added that he had submitted a criminal complaint to the Public Prosecutor at the Tribunal of First Instance in Niamey through a lawyer in Niger Republic, seeking the prosecution of Hassan Saleh Hussein for alleged defamation and insult through electronic communication.
According to the senator, the campaign against him intensified after he left the All Progressives Congress (APC) for the PRP and became the party’s governorship candidate in Bauchi State.
He said old and manipulated videos were being recirculated with new captions in an attempt to portray him as having links with bandit groups.
“My decision to leave the All Progressives Congress (APC) for the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP), under whose platform I am pursuing my gubernatorial aspiration, should be debated on policies, competence and vision—not on fabricated allegations,” he said.
Buba said legitimate security-related engagements and acts of compassion had sometimes been taken out of context and presented as evidence of wrongdoing.
He said he was open to scrutiny but insisted that it must be based on verifiable facts.
“As a senator, a former chairman of the Senate Committee on National Security and Intelligence, currently chairing the Senate Committee on Livestock and Animal Husbandry, and now a gubernatorial candidate, I recognise that my actions and associations will be examined. That is democracy,” he said.
“But scrutiny must be based on facts. There is a difference between investigation and fabrication, between criticism and blackmail, and between political opposition and deliberate character assassination.”
The lawmaker said disinformation campaigns often involved recycling old allegations, editing existing materials and attaching new captions before repeatedly circulating them as purported evidence.
He urged journalists and civil society organisations to independently verify the videos and other materials being circulated against him.
Buba said he had generally refrained from responding to every allegation because public officials must remain open to scrutiny while exercising restraint, particularly on matters involving national security.
He explained that his former position as chairman of the Senate Committee on National Security and Intelligence required discretion, as disclosing operational details, sources or sensitive interventions could jeopardise security operations.
According to him, his two-year tenure as committee chairman involved legislative oversight, intelligence, security policy and engagement with communities affected by insecurity.
He said he advocated a combination of military operations and non-kinetic measures, including community engagement, dialogue, intelligence gathering, deradicalisation and confidence-building.
“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,” he said.
Buba added that some of his interventions could not responsibly be discussed publicly because revealing the identities of intermediaries or operational information could endanger citizens and undermine security efforts.
“My silence on such matters should never be interpreted as an absence of service,” he said.
“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.
“The facts should speak louder than propaganda.”
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