The Bauchi Youth Discussion Circle has called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to order a thorough investigation into allegations linking Senator Shehu Buba Umar to banditry and alleged dealings with bandit kingpins.
The group made the demand yesterday during a press conference in Bauchi addressed by its chairman, Prince Mohammed Sani Hassan. It urged the President to direct relevant security agencies, particularly the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) and the Director-General of the Department of State Services (DSS), to investigate the allegations professionally.
The group said the matter should be treated as a national security issue rather than dismissed as political propaganda, social media speculation or partisan rivalry.
Mohammed said recent allegations reportedly made by Hassan Saleh Hussein, who is said to have left Nigeria, had raised serious concerns among residents of Bauchi State and Nigerians generally.
However, he stressed that the group was not declaring Senator Buba guilty or calling for his conviction through the media, noting that every Nigerian is entitled to the presumption of innocence and due process.
He said allegations involving national security should not be ignored and must instead be subjected to proper investigation by the appropriate authorities.
According to him, investigators should establish whether the allegations are true or false, identify the evidence supporting them, determine who made the allegations and why, and assess whether there are genuine national security implications.
Mohammed also urged the authorities to establish who should be held accountable if the allegations were found to have been deliberately fabricated, as well as determine the appropriate legal action if any part of the allegations was proven to be true.
He maintained that such questions should be settled through evidence and investigation rather than political arguments on social media.
The group further appealed to the Federal Government and security agencies to take lawful measures to protect the person reportedly behind the allegations and, where necessary, facilitate his return to Nigeria through legal channels so he can make a formal statement and present any evidence in his possession.
“If his allegations are genuine, he should have the opportunity to present his evidence before competent authorities. If the allegations are false or deliberately fabricated, the appropriate authorities should also determine the circumstances and take whatever action the law permits,” Sani said.
He said national security matters required facts, evidence and professional investigation.
“If, after a proper investigation, credible evidence establishes that Senator Shehu Buba Umar has committed any offence, he must face the law like every other Nigerian, regardless of his political position, status or connections.
“At the same time, if the investigation establishes that the allegations are baseless, Senator Shehu Buba should not be condemned or persecuted based merely on accusations,” he said.
The group said Nigeria’s security challenges were genuine and should not be exploited as tools for political competition.
It therefore appealed to politicians across party lines to stop reducing national security issues to ordinary political disputes.
“Security is not APC. Security is not PDP. Security is not Labour. Security is not ADC. Security belongs to every Nigerian. The lives and properties of ordinary citizens are involved,” Mohammed said.
He said the Federal Government needed to demonstrate that serious security allegations would be handled objectively, regardless of the political affiliation, identity or status of the person involved.
The group said residents of Bauchi State and Nigerians across the country were closely following the matter. It urged security agencies to conduct a credible, impartial, transparent and professional investigation while respecting the rights of everyone involved.
Mohammed also warned that public concerns about insecurity could have political consequences if citizens became convinced that their fears were being ignored.
He said public confidence in the government’s approach to insecurity would become particularly important ahead of the 2027 general elections, especially in Northern Nigeria.
According to him, any perception that serious security allegations were being ignored or treated simply as political issues could weaken confidence in the government and potentially affect the political fortunes of the Tinubu administration in the region.
Senator Shehu Buba Umar has previously denied the allegations against him, describing the claims and videos circulating on social media as fabricated. He also called for the matter to be addressed through proper investigation and evidence.
The senator, who represents Bauchi South Senatorial District and chairs the Senate Committee on Livestock and Animal Husbandry, also said he had begun legal proceedings against Hassan Saleh Hussein over alleged defamation and insults communicated electronically.
In a statement personally signed by him and made available to journalists, Shehu Buba said he had filed a formal criminal complaint with the Public Prosecutor at the Tribunal of First Instance in Niamey, Niger Republic, through a lawyer in the country, seeking Hussein’s prosecution.
The senator said the controversy began in August 2026 after a content creator identified as “D English Alhaji” shared videos alleging that bandit kingpins had visited his residence.
Shehu Buba maintained that the claims were untrue and insisted that the allegations should be resolved through due process and evidence rather than speculation and social media campaigns.
Source: Bauchi Youth Discussion Circle
