Senator representing Bauchi South, Shehu Buba, has dismissed viral videos linking him with alleged bandit kingpins, describing them as manipulated materials being recycled to damage his reputation.
Buba, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Livestock and Animal Husbandry and Peoples Redemption Party (PRP) governorship candidate in Bauchi State, said a fact-check showed that the videos combined two unrelated clips to create a false impression that bandits visited his residence.
In a statement titled, “Setting the Record Straight: My response to fabricated videos, false allegations and a sustained campaign of disinformation,” the former Chairman of the Senate Committee on National Security and Intelligence described the allegations as false, malicious and part of a sustained campaign against him.
He challenged anyone with credible evidence linking him to criminal activities to submit it to the appropriate security agencies, insisting that he had “nothing to hide and nothing to fear from any legitimate investigation.”
“I welcome scrutiny, but scrutiny must be fair. There is a difference between investigation and fabrication, between criticism and blackmail, and between political opposition and deliberate character assassination.
“Modern disinformation thrives on recycling old allegations, editing them, attaching new captions and redistributing them until repetition masquerades as evidence. Responsible citizens and journalists must resist this,” Buba said.
Explaining the videos, Buba said one of the clips showed Kaduna-based Hajj returnees who visited his residence in 2023, while another showed different individuals displaying passports.
According to him, the people in the first clip spoke Fulfulde while those in the second spoke English, contrary to claims that the footage showed bandits visiting him.
The senator traced the controversy to September 2024, when he condemned the alleged killing of two charcoal sellers by a militia group said to be working as hunters for the Bauchi State Agency for Vigilante and Youth Empowerment.
He said his intervention subsequently resulted in accusations linking him with banditry, which he denied, and a claim that he sponsored a “bandit kingpin” to perform the 2024 Hajj through an aide.
“I categorically denied these allegations. I stated that I had no aide by the name cited and invited security agencies to investigate,” he said.
Rather than engage in a public exchange, Buba said he filed a defamation suit, CV/413/2024, before the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory.
He also explained that some photographs and videos being circulated originated from a young man, Hassan Husseini, who was introduced to him in 2024 as an orphan requiring educational assistance.
Buba said he enrolled Husseini in a private college and Islamic school in Kaduna and bought him a bicycle, but the young man later abandoned his education and requested money to start a car dealership.
“I declined and advised him to return to school. 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,” he said.
The senator said he petitioned the police in September 2025 after those circulating the materials allegedly demanded money from him.
According to him, five suspects were subsequently arraigned before Justice Rita Ofili-Ajumogobia of the Federal High Court, Abuja, on charges including criminal conspiracy, cyberstalking, criminal defamation, advance-fee fraud and extortion.
He said the case remained before the court, with the next hearing scheduled for September 29, 2026.
Buba also rejected suggestions that his engagement with individuals and communities in security-related matters amounted to association with criminals, saying his previous Senate assignment required contacts and interventions that could not always be publicly disclosed.
“Nigeria cannot defeat insecurity by military force alone,” he said.
“Sustainable security requires winning the trust of vulnerable communities, strengthening local intelligence networks and creating pathways for cooperation with legitimate authorities.”
He said while military operations remained necessary, Nigeria must complement them with community engagement, dialogue, intelligence gathering, deradicalisation and confidence-building.
Buba urged journalists, editors, fact-checkers and civil society organisations to independently interrogate the allegations rather than accept viral social media materials at face value.
“Verify the videos. Examine their origins. Establish the identities of the individuals involved. Review court records. Consult relevant security institutions. Subject my explanations to scrutiny as well,” he said.
“I will continue to defend my name through lawful means. More importantly, I will continue the work that has defined my public life: serving my constituents, supporting those in need and contributing to the peace and security of our nation.
“The facts should speak louder than propaganda.”
