Senator Shehu Buba, representing Bauchi South Senatorial District, has come under fresh scrutiny following allegations linking him to suspected bandits and associates of notorious criminal kingpin Dogo Gide.
The latest claims have revived an old controversy surrounding the senator and his alleged connections with individuals suspected of involvement in banditry in northern Nigeria.
Buba, however, has rejected the allegations. He described them as part of a campaign by political opponents to damage his reputation ahead of the 2027 political season.
The latest accusation was made by a resident identified simply as Hassan during an interview with social media influencer D English Alhaji Media.
Hassan alleged that some politicians had supported criminal elements operating in the North.
He subsequently identified Buba as the senator he had previously referred to without naming.
He also claimed that people connected to Dogo Gide were taken to Abuja for specialised training through the assistance of an aide linked to the senator at the National Assembly.
The allegations have generated fresh questions because of Buba’s previous position as Chairman of the Senate Committee on National Security and Intelligence.
Buba has since responded to the accusations in an interview with Albarka Radio in Bauchi.
The senator denied supporting banditry and questioned the motive behind the claims.
He also provided details about his previous relationship with Hassan, saying the man was once someone he helped through his educational foundation.
According to Buba, Hassan was introduced to him as an orphan who needed assistance to continue his education. He said he subsequently helped arrange educational opportunities for him and also provided other support.
Buba said Hassan was connected with Islamic scholar Musa Yusuf Asadussunnah, who assisted in finding a school where he could receive both Islamic and conventional education.
The senator said he later became concerned when Hassan abandoned his education.
“After a short time, he told us that he was leaving school for the car dealership business, which I rejected, insisting that he must finish school before anything else,” Buba said.
Buba further alleged that Hassan later gained access to his residence and secretly recorded photographs and videos of visitors.
According to the senator, the materials were subsequently used as part of efforts by his political opponents to attack his reputation.
He said he reported the matter to the Inspector-General of Police and that the complaint had led to the arrest of four suspects.
Buba said two of the suspects were arrested in Kano, while the other two were apprehended in Bauchi and Abuja. He added that court proceedings had already commenced.
The senator also claimed that Hassan, whom he described as the principal suspect, had fled to Niger Republic but continued to make broadcasts on social media.
Buba accused unnamed political opponents of financing the broadcasts.
“Those sponsoring him cannot change destiny; if God says I will be, nobody can stop me using social media propaganda against me,” he said.
The Bauchi State Police Command, meanwhile, said it had not received any formal complaint concerning the latest allegations linking the senator to banditry.
The command’s spokesperson, Nafiu Habib, said the police could not comment substantively on a matter that had not been formally brought before it.
“We have not received any petition by anyone on the said allegation, so we don’t have a stake in the matter,” Habib said.
The development has also attracted calls for the allegations to be properly investigated rather than settled through political exchanges.
Mukhtar Gwarzo, a businessman and political associate of Buba, urged security agencies to establish the facts surrounding the accusations.
Gwarzo, who is the managing director of Nixon Energy and Nixon Telecoms, said the allegations were serious enough to warrant a thorough investigation because of their possible implications for national security.
He said the truth should be established “clearly and without fear or favour.”
Gwarzo also defended his long-standing relationship with Buba, saying he had known the senator for more than two decades.
“I have known him in quiet moments and in difficult seasons. I have watched his character under pressure. I know the values he carries, the discipline he lives by, and the quiet integrity that has guided his life,” he said.
He argued that the accusations did not match his knowledge of the senator.
“The man I know is not the man being painted in these stories. If he were the kind of person who would support, protect, or benefit from banditry and terrorism, he would never have been entrusted with one of the most sensitive positions in the National Assembly,” Gwarzo stated.
Despite his defence of Buba, Gwarzo said the senator should still be subjected to investigation if the allegations were formally presented to the relevant authorities.
“I am not asking anyone to close their eyes. I am not asking for silence. Let every allegation be thoroughly investigated.
“Let the DSS speak clearly. Let the National Assembly examine the matter with the seriousness it deserves. Let the Hajj authorities explain the processes that were followed.”
The demand for clarification is significant because the latest allegations are not the first time Buba has been linked to a controversy involving suspected banditry.
A separate case emerged in 2024 following allegations surrounding the registration of two people for the 2024 Hajj pilgrimage.
Bauchi State Governor Bala Mohammed had written to President Bola Tinubu on September 19, 2024, raising concerns over the registration and funding of Abubakar Idris and Zainab Gado.Government
The governor’s petition alleged that Idris was suspected of involvement in banditry and kidnapping in Zamfara State.
The controversy centred on claims that both individuals were registered through Yahaya Ibrahim, identified as a senior legislative aide to Buba.
During the Hajj preparations, operatives of the Department of State Services reportedly visited the Bauchi State Muslims Pilgrims Welfare Board and requested the e-passports of the two intending pilgrims.Executive Branch
Gado’s passport had already been released and she had travelled for the pilgrimage, while Idris’ passport was handed over to the DSS.
Idris was subsequently detained by the security agency over alleged links to criminal activities.
The governor described the circumstances surrounding the registration as “deeply worrisome as it suggests the senator’s complicity in supporting, enabling and empowering bandits to cause mayhem and go unscathed.”
Buba and members of his camp have rejected the allegations and maintained that the controversy was politically motivated.
The DSS had previously been reported to have examined aspects of the matter.
However, the agency has not publicly released a detailed conclusion establishing criminal liability against the senator.
When contacted over the status of the investigation, a DSS spokesperson indicated that the findings would be made public when appropriate.
“Would be published at the appropriate time, please.”
