A Nigerian senator, Shehu Buba Umar, who represents Bauchi South Senatorial District in Nigeria’s 10th National Assembly, has been accused of sponsoring banditry activities in the country.
TheNewsGuru reports that prominent Nigerian human rights activist Simon Kennedy took to social media to question the President Bola Tinubu-led administration for keeping mum about the allegations levelled against the serving senator.
The controversy began after a whistleblower, identified as Hassan, alleged during a recorded video call with De-English Alhaji that Senator Buba Shehu, who served as chairman of the committee on national security and intelligence during his first term as a senator, accommodates bandits Babangida Adam & Lema in his residence, interacts with them, and shares meals with them.
Hassan, who claimed to have lived with the serving senator for two years, also disclosed that the brother of the bandit leader, DOGO GIDE, was in the senator’s house the day he recorded one of the videos he shared with security specialist, English Alhaji.
In 2025, a video released by Hassan went viral. The video shows cash, motorcycles, and suspected bandits being coordinated inside a property allegedly linked to Senator Shehu Buba Umar.
The video also shows passports and the late Bashari Maniya, described as a “repentant” bandit
Responding to Hassan’s allegation against Senator Umar, Kennedy said that if no action is taken, people will have many reasons not to vote for those who cannot order an investigation into the claim.
He added that this issue affects national security, and insecurity remains a major problem in Nigeria.
Speaking in the video, Kennedy said: “At least the name of the senator that Hassan has been alleging is using De-English Alhaji’s platform has been revealed, which is Senator Shehu Buba, and we remember that this was the same senator; some northerners at a point in time, a barrister, Barr Kebana, alleged that he is conniving with bandits and that he has a hand in this banditry. And at the end of the day, they were detained, and after a while they were released, and we did not hear how far with that case so far
“This is the same man now, and at this point in time, it is a Fulani who stayed with him, who has pictures with him, making these allegations. I don’t want you to forget that Shehu served as chairman of the committee on national security and intelligence, and the cabinet was reshuffled, and he was moved to Agriculture.
“The excuse given was that the reshuffling was a natural and routine one, but with this allegation, you will ask yourself this question: if there is a government in Nigeria, does it sound normal for these allegations to be piled up against a serving senator and at the end of the day, the government of the day is not actually saying anything about it or taking any measure against the accused.
“If the present administration does not order a comprehensive investigation, possibly bringing this man into custody, we are going to start an episode of one thousand reasons not to vote for President Bola Tinubu for re-election.”