The Bauchi South senator and PRP governorship candidate has rejected viral videos linking him to bandit kingpins, insisting that the footage was manipulated and that his acts of compassion and legitimate security engagements have been stripped of context.
He has filed criminal complaints in Nigeria and Niger Republic against those behind the allegations.
A Career Under Scrutiny
Senator Shehu Buba, who chairs the Senate Committee on Livestock and Animal Husbandry and previously chaired the Senate Committee on National Security and Intelligence, has found himself at the centre of a swirling controversy that threatens to define his political future.
The allegations first emerged in September 2024 when Umar Shayi led a militia group purportedly operating under the Bauchi State Agency for Vigilante and Youth Empowerment.
The group reportedly killed two charcoal sellers, and when Buba intervened, the Bauchi State Commissioner for Internal Security and Home Affairs, Abubakar Bununu, publicly linked his name to banditry.
Governor Bala Mohammed subsequently petitioned President Bola Tinubu, alleging that Buba sponsored a “bandit kingpin” to perform the 2024 Hajj through an aide named Yahaya Ibrahim.
The controversy intensified in August 2026 when a content creator known as “D English Alhaji” circulated videos purportedly showing bandit kingpins visiting Buba’s residence.
The senator has since dismissed the videos as manipulated, insisting that one clip featured Kaduna-based Hajj returnees who visited his residence in 2023, while another showed different individuals speaking different languages.
A Coordinated Campaign of Defamation
In a statement personally signed on Sunday, September 6, 2026, Buba accused political opponents of using fake videos to discredit him.
He insisted that he has neither sponsored bandits nor hosted bandit kingpins in his house, describing the allegations as part of a coordinated campaign driven by financial motives and partisan interests.
“I welcome scrutiny, but scrutiny must be fair. I do not claim immunity from scrutiny. 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,” Buba 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,” he added.
Legal Action Across Borders
Buba disclosed that he has taken legal action against those behind the allegations. He has submitted a formal criminal complaint to the Public Prosecutor at the Tribunal of First Instance in Niamey, Niger Republic, seeking the prosecution of Hassan Saleh Hussein for defamation and insult via electronic communication.
He has also filed cases in Nigerian courts.
A Pattern of Allegations and Denials
The allegations against Buba are not isolated.
In September 2025, a group backing his peace efforts in northern Nigeria described him as a senator widely recognised for his advocacy of non-kinetic approaches to complement military operations in combating insecurity.
He is currently pursuing a PhD focused on the drivers of banditry in Zamfara and Kaduna States.
In October 2024, the Supreme Council for Shariah in Nigeria described as baseless the allegation that Buba was sponsoring banditry, noting that through collaborative efforts with security agencies, he had ensured critical resources were allocated to areas most affected by banditry.
The Northern States Christian Elders Forum (NOSCEF) has called for a thorough, independent and transparent investigation into the allegations.
Meanwhile, former Minister of Youth and Sports Solomon Dalung has urged the DSS to make public the outcome of its investigation, stressing that the allegation raises important questions about national security and the integrity of the country’s security system.
The Political Context
The senator’s decision to leave the All Progressives Congress (APC) for the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP), under whose platform he is pursuing his gubernatorial aspiration, has added a political dimension to the controversy.
Buba has urged that his political ambition should be debated on policies, competence and vision, not on fabricated allegations.
The Dogo Gide Connection
The allegations against Buba come amid a broader controversy involving a senator from the North who has been accused of links to notorious bandit leader Dogo Gide.
A man identified as Hassan has alleged that his childhood friendship with Gide gave him unusual access to people within Gide’s circle, and that he secretly recorded activities at a senator’s residence.
The senator has denied the allegations and challenged Hassan to produce evidence before appropriate security agencies.
A Call for Evidence-Based Scrutiny
Buba has challenged individuals and organisations with credible evidence of wrongdoing to submit it to the appropriate authorities.
He has also appealed to journalists, fact-checkers, civil society organisations and opinion leaders to approach the allegations with professionalism and fairness.
“Modern disinformation thrives on recycling old allegations, editing them, attaching new captions and redistributing them until repetition masquerades as evidence,” he warned.
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A Lesson for Nigerian Youths
This controversy offers a window into the murky intersection of politics, security and disinformation in Nigeria. It also serves as a cautionary tale about the weaponisation of social media in political warfare.
For young Nigerians, the lesson is clear: not everything you see online is true.
Verify before you share. Question before you believe. And never forget that a reputation can be destroyed by a single manipulated video.
