Alledged Bandit Ties: Plateau Group demands arrest of Senator Buba
…As Aide dismisses accusations as smear campaign, says claims are malicious
By Austine Agbo Emmanuel, Kaduna
The Plateau Progressive Movement (PPM) has called for the arrest and prosecution of Senator Shehu Umar Buba, Chairman of the Senate Committee on National Security and Intelligence, over what it described as “alarming involvement with bandits and criminal elements” in parts of Bauchi and Plateau States.
In a statement signed by its Publicity Secretary, Comrade Dachum Daniel Kajang, in Kaduna on Tuesday the group alleged that Senator Buba had incited violence in Toro and Tafawa Balewa Local Government Areas, leading to loss of lives and creating fear among residents.
According to the group, eyewitness accounts and credible reports suggested that the lawmaker facilitated medical treatment for injured bandits and provided logistical support for their activities.
PPM also claimed that a video clip circulating online showed arms and motorcycles being moved from Senator Buba’s residence to Zamfara State, describing the development as a “blatant affront to national security.”
“Senator Buba’s continued role as Chairman of the Senate Committee on National Security and Intelligence is untenable. His alleged actions amount to a betrayal of public trust and embolden criminal elements. We demand his immediate arrest, prosecution, and removal from office,” the statement read in part.
However, Senator Buba’s camp has strongly denied the allegations, describing them as a smear campaign by political detractors bent on undermining his growing influence.
In a counter statement issued by Comrade Sabo Muhammad, Special Adviser on Media and Communications to the senator, the accusations were dismissed as “malicious, unfounded, and lacking any credible evidence.”
“If the group is truly patriotic, it should provide concrete proof, such as the names of hospitals, patients, or communities allegedly linked to the senator.
“The truth is that there is relative peace in Toro and Tafawa Balewa, and Senator Buba has no hand in the security challenges of Plateau State. This calumny will not deter him from discharging his responsibilities as the only APC senator in Bauchi State,” Muhammad said.
