Bauchi South Senator, Shehu Buba, has strongly refuted claims linking him to bandits operating in Zamfara State, following reports associating him with a suspected bandit, Abubakar Aliyu.
In a statement released on Friday by his Legislative Assistant, Hassan Guruji, in Abuja, Senator Buba dismissed the allegations, which accused him of sponsoring Aliyu, a known bandit and kidnapper, and Zainab Aliyu, for pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia in July.
According to the reports, Abubakar Aliyu was subsequently arrested and is currently in the custody of the State Security Service (SSS).
While Senator Buba acknowledged that both Abubakar and Mrs. Aliyu were indeed among those registered for the pilgrimage under his sponsorship, he clarified that the nominations came from respected community elders, religious leaders, and local representatives in Bauchi State. He emphasized that his actions were solely based on their recommendations, with no personal involvement in their selection.
Buba further confirmed that the suspected bandit was detained during a routine screening exercise for the pilgrimage and is now being held by the secret police. He added that Mrs. Aliyu successfully passed the security checks and was allowed to participate in the pilgrimage.
Guruji stressed that Senator Buba, who chairs the Senate Committee on National Security, has no personal connection with Abubakar Aliyu, reiterating that his inclusion in the pilgrimage list was based on recommendations from trusted community figures and had no links to criminal activities.
The statement further clarified that the senator does not employ anyone by the name Yahaya Ibrahim, who was mentioned in the reports. It also pointed out that it is the responsibility of security agencies to conduct thorough checks on all Hajj pilgrims.
“Senator Buba sponsors many individuals for pilgrimage each year based on nominations from community elders, religious leaders, and local representatives. Mrs. Zainab Aliyu passed all security screenings and was permitted to perform Hajj, while Abubakar Idris was arrested during the process for further investigation, without any interference from the senator’s office,” Guruji explained.
He also highlighted Senator Buba’s ongoing efforts in combating insurgency, banditry, and kidnapping through his position in the National Assembly.
“As chairman of the Senate Committee on National Security, Senator Buba has consistently led initiatives aimed at countering insurgency, banditry, and terrorism, which are beginning to yield positive results,” the statement concluded.
