By Jelili Gbadamosi
Senator Shehu Buba, representing Bauchi South Senatorial District, has challenged individuals and organisations accusing him of links with banditry to present credible evidence to the appropriate authorities, insisting that he is prepared to face legitimate scrutiny.
Buba, who is the governorship candidate of the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP) in Bauchi State, said the allegations against him were being driven by political interests and financial motives.
The senator’s response followed renewed calls for an investigation into alleged links between him and a suspected bandit kingpin, Abubakar Idris. Former Minister of Youth and Sports, Solomon Dalung, had recently urged the Department of State Services (DSS) to disclose the outcome of its investigation into the allegations.
In a statement personally signed by him on Sunday, Buba denied sponsoring bandits or hosting bandit leaders at his residence, describing videos circulating online as fake, doctored and malicious.
He said he had taken legal action over the videos in Nigerian courts and the Court of First Instance in Niger Republic, maintaining that the materials being circulated did not represent the truth.
The senator said he had remained silent on the allegations partly because of the sensitive nature of his previous responsibilities as Chairman of the Senate Committee on National Security and Intelligence.
According to him, national security responsibilities often require discretion because public disclosure of certain information could compromise ongoing operations, expose sources or put communities and individuals at risk.
Buba said he now considered it necessary to respond because the videos and allegations had continued to resurface with increasingly serious claims attached to them.
“I welcome scrutiny, but scrutiny must be fair. I do not claim immunity from scrutiny,” he said, adding that as a senator and governorship candidate, his actions and associations were naturally subject to public examination.
He, however, warned against confusing legitimate investigation with what he described as fabrication and character assassination.
The lawmaker urged journalists, editors, fact-checkers, civil society groups and other stakeholders to independently verify the videos, establish the identities of those featured, examine their origins and consult relevant security institutions before drawing conclusions.
He also appealed to his supporters to remain calm and focused on the 2027 electoral process rather than responding to provocations.
On the broader fight against insecurity, Buba advocated a combination of military and non-military approaches, including community engagement, intelligence gathering, dialogue, deradicalisation and confidence-building.
“Nigeria cannot defeat insecurity by military force alone,” he said, stressing that sustainable security would require stronger trust between vulnerable communities and authorities, improved local intelligence networks and greater cooperation with legitimate security institutions.
Buba maintained that he would continue to defend his reputation through lawful means, insisting that credible facts, rather than propaganda, should determine public judgment.
