Bauchi South Senator Shehu Buba has said a viral video linking him to banditry in North-eastern Nigeria was manipulated to mislead the public and tarnish his reputation.
Mr Buba, who is the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP) governorship candidate in Bauchi State for the 2027 election, said his political opponents had been promoting allegations linking him to banditry since 2024.
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He said the allegations began after he paid a condolence visit to a group of charcoal sellers whose members were killed during an attack in his district.
The senator stated this in a statement issued on Sunday in response to a viral video accusing him of sponsoring banditry and hosting bandit kingpins at his residence.
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Mr Buba, a former chairperson of the Senate Committee on National Security and Intelligence, was removed from the position in November 2025 over his failure to effectively carry out the committee’s oversight responsibilities amid worsening insecurity across the country.
He was subsequently reassigned to the Senate Committee on Livestock and Animal Husbandry as chairman.
Mr Buba has previously been linked to allegations of involvement in banditry. In October 2024. At the time, he was accused of sponsoring suspected bandit kingpins on a pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia.
After the allegation went viral, the senator acknowledged sponsoring a group of people for the pilgrimage but said those selected were recommended by traditional rulers in his district after he requested a list of people who could benefit from the sponsorship.
The suspected bandits were reportedly arrested upon their return from the pilgrimage and detained by the State Security Service (SSS).
Latest allegations
The latest allegations followed an online interview organised by a content creator popularly known as D English Alhaji with a man identified as Hassan Husseini, who is believed to have been associated with Mr Buba.
During the interview, Mr Husseini accused the senator of harbouring bandit kingpins and alleged that he was among prominent politicians sponsoring banditry in the country.
He also alleged that non-state actors linked to the notorious bandit leader, Dogo Gide, were brought to Abuja for specialised training, allegedly facilitated by an aide to Mr Buba.
Court case
Mr Buba denied the allegations and said he had already filed a criminal complaint against Mr Husseini before a public prosecutor at the Tribunal of First Instance in Niamey, Niger Republic, over the alleged defamation.
“Meanwhile, I have submitted a formal criminal complaint to the Public Prosecutor at the Tribunal of First Instance in Niamey, Niger Republic, through a legal practitioner in that country, seeking the criminal prosecution of Hassan Saleh Hussein for defamation and insult carried out via electronic communication,” he said.
How he came in contact with Husseini
Mr Buba said he first met Mr Husseini in 2024 after some people introduced him as an orphan who needed educational assistance.
He said he subsequently enrolled him in a private college in Kaduna and an Islamic school and provided him with a bicycle for transportation.
“In 2024, a young man named Hassan Husseini was introduced to me as an orphan needing educational assistance. Supporting vulnerable young people has long been part of my community interventions. I enrolled him in a private college in Kaduna and an Islamic school, and provided him with a bicycle for transportation,” he said.
The senator said that, after some time, Mr Husseini stopped attending classes and later approached him for financial assistance to start a car dealership.
READ ALSO: Bauchi APC Primaries: Defections as Shehu Buba clinches PRP governorship ticket
“After some time, Hassan abandoned his education and approached me for a substantial sum to start a car dealership. I declined and advised him to return to school,” he added.
Mr Buba alleged that Mr Husseini subsequently began circulating information and materials intended to implicate him after his request for money was declined.
“I later discovered that, while under my care, he had recorded photographs and videos of visitors to my residence. These materials later formed the basis of allegations circulated on social media. After the videos circulated and those sharing the videos and photos demanded money as extortion, I petitioned the Nigeria Police Force on September 9, 2025. Several individuals were arrested and investigated.
“On October 30, 2025, five suspects were arraigned before Justice Rita Ofili-Ajumogobia of the Federal High Court, Abuja, in Charge No. FHC/ABJ/CR/526/2025, on charges including criminal conspiracy, cyberstalking, criminal defamation, advance-fee fraud and extortion. The matter is before a competent court, and I will refrain from comments that could prejudice the proceedings. The next hearing is scheduled for September 29, 2026,” the lawmaker said.
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