BAUCHI SENATOR DENIES BANDIT LINK, INSISTS VIRAL VIDEOS ARE FAKE

The senator representing Bauchi South Senatorial District, Shehu Buba, has denied allegations linking him to banditry, describing viral videos and claims circulating on social media as part of a campaign of disinformation and character assassination.

Buba said the latest controversy followed videos circulated by a content creator known as D English Alhaji, which allegedly showed suspected bandit kingpins visiting his residence.

The senator, however, dismissed the claims as false and insisted that the viral materials had been wrongly presented as evidence against him.

According to Buba, a fact-check established that the videos combined unrelated clips, including footage of Kaduna-based Hajj returnees who visited his residence in 2023 and another clip showing different individuals displaying passports.

He said the allegations against him dated back to 2024 after he intervened in an incident in which two charcoal sellers were reportedly killed by a militia group allegedly operating as hunters.

Buba said he visited the families of the victims, demanded justice and called on authorities to investigate the killings, adding that allegations linking him to banditry emerged after his intervention.

The lawmaker also denied an earlier allegation that he sponsored a suspected bandit kingpin for the 2024 Hajj, saying he had invited security agencies to investigate the claim.

Addressing the origin of some photographs and videos circulating online, Buba said a young man identified as Hassan Husseini had been introduced to him as an orphan who needed educational assistance.

He said he supported the young man's education but later discovered that photographs and videos of visitors to his residence had allegedly been recorded and subsequently used to make allegations against him.

Buba said he petitioned the Nigeria Police Force after some individuals allegedly demanded money from him over the materials.

According to him, five suspects were later arraigned before a Federal High Court in Abuja on charges including criminal conspiracy, cyberstalking, criminal defamation, advance-fee fraud and extortion.

The senator said allegations contained in viral videos should be subjected to proper investigation and evidentiary standards rather than being accepted as facts because they were widely circulated online.

Buba also defended his approach to addressing insecurity, saying Nigeria needed both military and non-military strategies, including community engagement, intelligence gathering, dialogue and confidence-building.

He maintained that he was open to public scrutiny but insisted that criticism and investigations must be based on verifiable facts rather than fabricated allegations.