Tinubu Urged To Investigate Allegation Linking Senator Shehu Buba To Banditry

A group, Bauchi Youth Discussion Circle, has called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to direct relevant security agencies, particularly the inspector-general of police (IGP)and the director-general of the Department of State Services (DSS), to conduct a thorough and professional investigation into allegations linking Senator Shehu Buba Umar with banditry and alleged dealings with bandit kingpins.

The group made the call yesterday at a press conference in Bauchi addressed by its chairman, Prince Mohammed Sani Hassan, in which it urged the federal government to treat the allegations as a matter of national security rather than political propaganda, social media speculation or partisan warfare.

Mohammed said recent allegations reportedly made by one Hassan Saleh Hussein, who is said to have left Nigeria, had generated serious public concern and attracted considerable attention among residents of Bauchi State and Nigerians generally.

He, however, stressed that the group was not declaring Senator Buba guilty or asking anyone to convict him through the media, noting that every Nigerian is entitled to the presumption of innocence and due process.

According to him, allegations bordering on national security could not simply be ignored and should be properly investigated by competent authorities.

He said the authorities should establish whether the allegations were true or false, what evidence supported them, who was behind them and their motive, as well as whether they had any genuine national security implications.

Mohammed Sani also asked the authorities to determine who should be held responsible if the allegations were found to be false or deliberately fabricated, and what action the law required if any aspect of the allegations was established to be true.

He said such questions should be answered through investigation and evidence rather than political arguments on social media.

The group further called on the federal government and relevant security agencies to take appropriate lawful steps to ensure that the person reportedly making the allegations is adequately protected and, where necessary, brought back to Nigeria through lawful means to make a formal statement and present whatever evidence he claims to possess.

“If his allegations are genuine, he should have the opportunity to present his evidence before competent authorities. If the allegations are false or deliberately fabricated, the appropriate authorities should also determine the circumstances and take whatever action the law permits,” Sani said.

He added that national security required facts, evidence and professional investigation.

“If, after a proper investigation, credible evidence establishes that Senator Shehu Buba Umar has committed any offence, he must face the law like every other Nigerian, regardless of his political position, status or connections.

“At the same time, if the investigation establishes that the allegations are baseless, Senator Shehu Buba should not be condemned or persecuted based merely on accusations,” he said.

The group said Nigeria’s security challenges were real and should not be turned into instruments of political competition.

It therefore appealed to politicians across party lines to stop treating national security matters as ordinary political arguments.

“Security is not APC. Security is not PDP. Security is not Labour. Security is not ADC. Security belongs to every Nigerian. The lives and properties of ordinary citizens are involved,” Mohammed said.

He said the Federal Government must demonstrate that every serious security allegation would be treated objectively, irrespective of the identity, political affiliation or status of the person involved.

The group said the people of Bauchi State and Nigerians across the country were watching the matter with keen interest, urging security agencies to conduct a credible, impartial, transparent and professional investigation while respecting the rights of all persons involved.

Mohammed also cautioned the Federal Government that public concerns about security could have serious political consequences if citizens believed their fears were being ignored.

He said public confidence in the government’s handling of insecurity would be particularly important as the country approaches the 2027 general elections, especially across Northern Nigeria.

According to him, any perception that serious security allegations were being ignored or treated merely as political matters could undermine public confidence in the government and potentially affect the political fortunes of the Tinubu administration in the region.

Senator Shehu Buba Umar had recently denied the allegations against him, describing the claims and videos circulated on social media as fabricated and insisting that they should be subjected to proper investigation and evidentiary standards.

The senator, who represents Bauchi South Senatorial District and chairs the Senate Committee on Livestock and Animal Husbandry, also disclosed that he had commenced legal action against Hassan Saleh Hussein over alleged defamation and insults made against him through electronic communication.

In a statement personally signed by him and made available to journalists, Shehu Buba said he had submitted a formal criminal complaint to the Public Prosecutor at the Tribunal of First Instance in Niamey, Niger Republic, through a legal practitioner in the country, seeking Hussein’s prosecution.

The senator said the controversy began in August 2026 when a content creator known as “D English Alhaji” circulated videos alleging that bandit kingpins had visited his residence.

Shehu Buba maintained that the allegations were false and called for their address through due process and evidence rather than speculation or social media campaigns.