Senator responds to banditry accusations against him

Shehu Buba, the senator for Bauchi South, has reacted to claims that he supports banditry.

A man named Hassan accused the senator and other unnamed politicians of helping bandits in northern Nigeria.

SaharaReporters reported that Mr Hassan made these claims during an interview with social media influencer D English Alhaji Media (@DEngliishalhaji).

He pointed out Mr Buba, who is also the governorship candidate for the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP) in the 2027 election, as one of the politicians aiding criminals.

Mr Hassan also said that people connected to the notorious bandit leader Dogo Gide were taken to Abuja for special training, which he claimed was arranged by an aide to Mr Buba at the National Assembly.

Shehu Buba’s response

In an interview with Albarka Radio in Bauchi, Mr Buba talked about his past relationship with Mr Hassan. He explained that he helped Mr Hassan with his education.

Mr Buba said he met Mr Hassan when he was an orphan wanting to continue his studies. He linked him with a cleric, Musa Asadussunnah, who helped him gain admission into both Islamic and regular schools.

Mr Buba also mentioned that he gave Mr Hassan a bicycle to help him get to school.

“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,” Mr Buba said.

“As he is an orphan, I advised him to finish school because it would help him in the future, but he insisted… Three weeks later, I learned that he had left.”

Mr Buba accused Mr Hassan of using access to his home to make propaganda materials.

He said his house is open to visitors, allowing Mr Hassan to secretly take photos and videos of guests. These images were allegedly given to political rivals to damage his reputation.

Talking about the legal steps he took, Mr Buba said he filed a formal complaint with the Inspector-General of Police (IGP).

So far, the investigation has led to the arrest of four suspects, two in Kano, one in Bauchi, and one in Abuja. Court proceedings have already started.

But Mr Buba noted that the main suspect, Mr Hassan, has escaped to Niger Republic, where he continues to run live broadcasts allegedly paid for by political opponents.

“Those sponsoring him cannot change destiny; if God says I will be, nobody can stop me using social media propaganda against me.”

Involvement with bandits

Mr Buba, who was the Chairman of the Senate Committee on National Security and Intelligence, worked with security forces and important clerics across Nigeria. They aimed to support the government’s non-violent strategy for fighting banditry.

His team, including Mr Asadussunnah, reportedly met with several bandit leaders, like the wanted terrorist Bello Turji, to negotiate a controversial peace deal.

Nigeria’s non-violent approach to banditry is a multi-faceted security strategy that seeks to solve the root causes of armed violence and criminal networks without just using military force.

While traditional military tactics focus on airstrikes and ground operations, non-violent methods target the social, economic, and political reasons behind insecurity.

A key part of this strategy is encouraging local negotiations between conflicting groups, like farming communities and Fulani pastoralists.

These grassroots peace agreements aim to rebuild trust, set community rules, and settle disputes before they turn into organized crime.