Friday Lines (125) With Dr Abubakar Alkali: Why Senator Shehu Buba Umar Should be Investigated by the DSS Over Allegations of Sponsoring Bandits…

By Dr Abubakar Alkali

Why Senator Shehu Buba Umar Should be Investigated by the DSS Over Allegations of Sponsoring Bandits and Ties to the Fulani Kidnapping Industry.

1. The DSS Should Immediately Arrest Sen. Shehu Buba and Conduct a Forensic Investigation into the Grave Allegations of Ties to Fulani Bandits and Terrorists.

2. ⁠The Senate Should Purge itself and Suspend Sen Shehu Buba Immediately Just as It Suspended Sen Ali Ndume and Sen Abdul Ningi Over Mere Allegations of Exposing Budget Padding and Corruption in the Senate.

3. ⁠The international criminal court (ICC) in Hague the Netherlands is hereby placed on notice to beam its searchlight on these grave allegations against Sen. Shehu Buba with a view to arraigning anybody found wanting before the ICC. It is imperative to state here that terrorism is a global calamity and all nations must come together to fight it.

4. ⁠Sen Shehu Buba Doesn’t Enjoy Immunity under section 308 of the constitution, federal republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended) and is NOT above the law.

*INTRODUCTION*:

At first, it will seem all but an abnormal criminal network of youths flying their trade but recent revelations by one Hassan Danfulani have further strengthened the widely held belief that the Fulani kidnapping industry is much more than just a network of criminality and a job creation scheme. It is an industry that has entrenched itself right at the heart of Nigeria’s government in the executive, judiciary and the legislature.

Revelations and indeed proofs, are gradually nay systematically coming to light that kidnapping is not just a criminal network particularly in the Northern part of Nigeria. Rather, it is a booming industry and an investment portfolio where investors (the sponsors) put their money for a return on investment. They buy guns and ammunition for the bandits and collect percentages after each operation. Hassan Danfulani revealed this much.

In fact, the Fulani and Boko haram kidnapping industry in Nigeria is said to be worth N2.23 Trillion. This figure is more than the combined annual budgets of Zamfara, Taraba, Kebbi and Gombe states for 2026.

* Between July 2025 – June 2026, a total of N7.8 billion was paid as ransom to bandits.

This analogy is supported by the recent revelations of one Hassan Danfulani, himself a likely would-be bandit who fell out with Sen Shehu Buba, the alleged bandit sponsor and enabler. Hassan’s revelations against a serving senator of the federal republic of Nigeria, Shehu Buba Umar (APC-Bauchi South) who also served as the chairman of the senate committee on national security (This is Nigeria; a suspected sponsor of bandits heading a critical senate committee that should fight banditry).

On his part, Senator Shehu Buba has denied these allegations and in an after-thought manner, said the allegations are fabricated, politically motivated and aimed at stopping his ambition to become the next governor of Bauchi state in the 2027 elections on the platform of the People’s Redemtion Party (PRP).

Hassan Danfulani in a coordinated expose through a social media influencer, the so-called D English Alhaji, revealed that Senator Shehu Buba Umar is the chief sponsor of bandits and a key investor in the Fulani kidnapping industry. Pertinent to state here that these are allegations and they remain so until otherwise proven by a court of competent jurisdiction.

The young man Hassan in a series of appearances (parts 1-8) on D English Alhaji’s channel, not only accused Senator Shehu Buba Umar of sponsoring bandits but went further to present documentary evidence in form of pictures and videos to prove the allegations he made. These pictures and videos have not been independently verified though.

In fact, one of the videos Hassan posted online showed suspected bandits feeling at home, stretching their legs and occupying several rooms in Senator Shehu Buba’s house.

After Hassan’s revelations, a young woman appeared in another channel on social media to plead with Senator Shehu Buba to find her husband, Abdullahi Ori (PA to Senator Shehu Buba) whom she alleged, is cooling off in a Nigerien prison. This was after Ori’s trip to Niger republic to allegedly abduct or kill Hassan and also import weapons on the alleged orders of Senator Shehu Buba Umar.

Without going into the veracity and authenticity of Hassan Danfulani’s evidence against Senator Shehu Buba Umar, it is necessary to state that these allegations are too weighty to be ignored by any responsible government. In this regard, it behoves on the department of state services (DSS), Nigeria’s primary domestic security and intelligence agency to move swiftly and decisively and arrest Senator Shehu Buba Umar.

The DSS should conduct a forensic, thorough and full investigation into these weighty allegations and charge him to court.

If the DSS can arrest peaceful #endbadgovernance protesters in 2024 including children within days and charge them to court, there is no reason whatsoever as to why the DSS cannot arrest a suspected major bandits financier and enabler of terrorism in Nigeria.

Let it be noted that Senator Shehu Buba doesn’t enjoy immunity from investigation and prosecution under section 308 of the 1999 constitution FRN. Indeed if Nigeria is serious about tackling the menace of kidnapping, banditry and terrorism, it must use Hassan Danfulani’s revelations to smoke out all the sponsors and enablers of kidnapping, banditry and terrorism.

Hassan who was staying in Shehu Buba’s house before the fallout, has said all that he needed to say, it is now time for the DSS to arrest Senator Shehu Buba to defend himself before a court of competent jurisdiction. Running to court to seek an order of mandamus will not solve the problem as it will amount to postponing the evil day. What will solve the problem is for the DSS to arrest Senator Shehu Buba, arraign him before a court of competent jurisdiction and give him the opportunity to defend himself. The senator can be discharged and acquitted if nothing incriminating is found against him but if the investigation proves otherwise, Senator Shehu Buba should be prepared to face the consequences of his actions.

*WHY THE SENATE MUST SUSPEND SEN. SHEHU BUBA*

There is not only a moral but legaI responsibility for the Godswill Akpabio led Senate to suspend Senator Shehu Buba immediately in order not to jeopardize any investigations on the matter. If the senate can suspend senators Abdul Ningi and Ali Ndume over mere allegations of exposing budget padding, there is absolutely no reason why Sen. Shehu Buba should continue as a senator pending investigations into the weighty allegations of ties to banditry and terrorism leveled against him.

These allegations are inextricably tied to Nigeria’s national security and no serious institutions, less the senate should take them for granted.

*TIMELINE OF BANDITS-TIES AND TERRORISM ALLEGATIONS AGAINST SEN SHEHU BUBA.*

It should be noted that Hassan Danfulani’s terrorism allegations against senator Shehu Buba is not an isolated incident and not the first of its kind. Sen. Shehu Buba has been accused several times of being a chief sponsor of bandits and enabler of kidnapping and terrorism in Nigeria. Below are some of the allegations against Sen. Shehu Buba in the dangerous mix of kidnapping, banditry and terrorism in Nigeria:

1. In October 2024, the Bauchi state governor H.E Bala Muhammed wrote a strongly-worded petition to the senate against Senator Shehu Buba over allegations of sponsoring bandits to Hajj. Two names were mentioned in the petition; a suspected bandit terrorising communities in Zamfara state Abubakar Aliyu and one Zainab Aliyu were mentioned as part of the pilgrims Senator Shehu Buba sponsored to the 2024 Hajj. Senator Buba was alleged to have procured international passports for Mr Aliyu who was subsequently arrested by the DSS during screening and kept in custody. No word from the DSS on Mrs Zainab Aliyu, who was said to have been allowed to proceed to hajj.

2. ⁠Senator Shehu Buba has been accused of sponsoring Islamic clerics namely the controversial Sheikh Ahmed Gumi and Sheikh Musa Assadussunah (two prominent Kaduna-based alleged sympathizers of bandits and terrorists) to push for a soft-landing for bandits through the so-called non-kinetic approach which has never and will never work. It is now clearly understood that the so-called non-kinetic approach is a tool allegedly used by the likes of Sheikh Gumi and Musa Assadussunnah to entrench banditry in Northern Nigeria.

3. ⁠Senator Shehu Buba is alleged to be a very good friend and sponsor of bandit kingpin Dogo Gide who kidnapped the Yauri school girls in June 2021. Bandit Dogo Gide also allegedly downed a military fighter aircraft in August 2023.

In fact, Hassan Danfulani alleged that Sen Shehu Buba collected 20% of the ransom paid for the 137 kidnapped school children in Kaduna in 2024 during which one of the teachers died as a result of complications from the kidnap ordeal.

*KILLINGS BY BANDITS AND TERRORISTS:*

The number of innocent people killed by bandits and those abducted is alarming;

1. In April 2025 – 570 people were killed in 278 kidnapping incidents.

2. ⁠Between July 2025 – June 2026, 7,825 people were kidnapped out of which 1,142 were killed.

3. ⁠In 2026, the collection rate of the kidnappers was 34% as they demanded N22.856 billion as ransom but received N7.779 billion.

**ISLAMIC CLERICS AND OTHER SOCIAL MEDIA INFLUENCERS WHO ARE DEFENDING SENATOR SHEHU BUBA HAVE FAILED THE NORTH. **

While an Igbo man, Southerner and Christian known as D English Alhaji who’s real name is Ezechukwu Okonkwo is fighting to expose bandits and their sponsors, our own brothers in the North including Sheikh Ahmed Gumi, Musa Assadussunnah, Ibrahim Aliyu etc are allegedly supporting bandits and terrorist by calling for dialogue with killers of our Muslim brothers and sister even though such dialogues have never worked in the past and will never work in the future.

It is no longer news that some modern-era Islamic clerics are alleged to be on the payroll of Senator Shehu Buba and have signed a contract to defend him on social media and other fora ‘at all costs’

These merchants of death who disguise as Islamic clerics and social media influencers to fly their trade must be reminded that they have blood on their hands. They have disappointed the North and we all are disappointed and ashamed about their activities on the senator Shehu Buba terrorism matter. Some of these merchants of death who disguise as Islamic clerics to defend Senator Shehu Buba are as follows:

1. Ahmed Gumi – Kaduna

2. ⁠Musa Assadussunnah- Kaduna

3. Ibrahim Aliyu – Kaduna

4. ⁠Bappa Hotoro – Kano

Renegade social media influencers allegedly paid by Senator Shehu Buba to defend him:

1. Aminu Rastafarian J-Town- Jos

2. ⁠Danfo – Jos

One prominent Islamic scholar and a social media influencer have both stood up to be counted and are saying the truth on the Shehu Buba matter:

1. Sheikh Murtala Bello Assada – Sokoto.

2. ⁠Influencer Ali Swagger – Saudi Arabia

In fact, Hassan Danfulani’s allegations against Senator Shehu Buba have further confirmed the long held belief that bandits are abducting and killing Nigerians because they are sponsored by very powerful government officials. Almost everyone beliefs that government is complicit in the ongoing economy of violence perpetrated by Fulani bandits and terrorists.

The DSS cannot afford to let this opportunity slip off. This is the time to get to the bottom of all the killings perpetrated by bandits and terrorists especially in Northern Nigeria. Senator Shehu Buba should be charged to court by the DSS and be given the opportunity to defend himself.