Bauchi Senator Shehu Buba Umar Denies Hosting Bandit Kingpins, Says He Sponsored No Bandit To Hajj
Senator representing Bauchi South, Shehu Buba Umar, has denied allegations linking him to bandit kingpins and sponsoring banditry in northern Nigeria.
The allegations, which have circulated widely online, claim that some high-profile bandit leaders visited the senator’s residence and that he sponsored some of them to undertake the Hajj pilgrimage.
In a statement issued on Sunday in Abuja, Buba said he has been subjected to propaganda, false narratives and manipulated videos since 2024.
The lawmaker said he has taken legal action against those responsible, adding that cases have been instituted in courts in Nigeria and Niamey, Niger Republic.
He said the campaign intensified after he emerged as the Peoples Redemption Party, PRP, governorship candidate in Bauchi State, with previously circulated manipulated videos being brought back online.
“My decision to leave the All Progressives Congress (APC) for the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP), under whose platform I am pursuing my gubernatorial aspiration, should be debated on policies, competence and vision — not on fabricated allegations,” the statement reads.
“It is deeply unfortunate when acts of compassion or legitimate security-related contacts are stripped of context and repackaged as evidence of wrongdoing.”
The Senator, a former Chairman of the Senate Committee on National Security and Intelligence and currently Chairman of the Senate Committee on Livestock and Animal Husbandry, said scrutiny must be based on facts.
“I do not claim immunity from scrutiny. As a senator, I recognise that my actions and associations will be examined. That is democracy. But there is a difference between investigation and fabrication, between criticism and blackmail, and between political opposition and deliberate character assassination,” he said.
Buba said disinformation campaigns often rely on recycling old allegations, editing existing materials and attaching new captions before circulating them as purported evidence, and urged journalists and civil society organisations to fact-check the videos.
“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,” he added.
He said his previous security committee role required discretion, and publicly disclosing operational details could jeopardise security efforts, noting that Nigeria cannot defeat insecurity by military force alone.
