By Samuel Ike, Abuja

The senator representing Bauchi South Senatorial District, Shehu Buba, has rejected fresh allegations linking him to banditry, describing viral videos and claims circulating on social media as part of a sustained campaign of disinformation and character assassination. Buba, a former chairman of the Senate Committee on National Security and Intelligence, has faced similar allegations since 2024, which he has consistently denied.

The latest controversy followed videos circulated by a content creator identified as ‘D English Alhaji’, who alleged that suspected bandit leaders had visited Buba’s residence. The allegations were further amplified after a resident, Hassan Husseini, accused the senator of being among politicians allegedly supporting bandits in the area and claimed that individuals linked to notorious bandit kingpin, Dogo Gide, were brought to Abuja for specialised training through one of Buba’s aides.

In a statement titled, “Setting the Record Straight: My Response to Fabricated Videos, False Allegations and a Sustained Campaign of Disinformation,” Buba dismissed the claims as false. He said he had initially refrained from responding because of the sensitivity of his former security oversight role, adding that national security responsibilities often require discretion. He maintained that his silence should not be interpreted as an inability to defend himself against the allegations.

Buba traced the controversy to September 15, 2024, when he said a militia group allegedly operating as hunters killed two charcoal sellers in his senatorial district. He said he visited the victims’ families, condemned the killings and called for justice, after which, according to him, the Bauchi State Commissioner for Internal Security and Home Affairs, Abubakar Bununu, publicly linked him to banditry. He also recalled a separate allegation that he sponsored a suspected bandit kingpin for the 2024 Hajj, which he denied and challenged security agencies to investigate. Buba said he later instituted a defamation suit over the allegations.

On the photographs and videos being circulated online, Buba said they originated from materials allegedly recorded by Husseini, whom he had previously assisted with education. According to the senator, Husseini was introduced to him as an orphan in need of support, and he subsequently enrolled him in a private college and an Islamic school in Kaduna. Buba alleged that Husseini later abandoned his studies and secretly recorded visitors at his residence, with some of the materials eventually used in allegations against him. He said he petitioned the Nigeria Police Force in September 2025 after individuals sharing the materials allegedly demanded money, leading to the arrest and arraignment of five suspects on charges including criminal conspiracy, cyberstalking, defamation and extortion.

Addressing the latest viral videos, Buba maintained that they had been misleadingly presented as evidence of meetings with bandit leaders. He said the clips actually combined unrelated footage, including videos of Hajj returnees who visited his residence in 2023 and a separate recording of people displaying passports. The senator urged journalists, fact-checkers and civil society organisations to independently verify the claims, insisting that public scrutiny should be based on evidence rather than viral content. He also said his political move from the All Progressives Congress to the Peoples Redemption Party and his governorship ambition had intensified attacks against him, but maintained that political disagreements should be addressed through facts, policies and legitimate democratic debate.