NDF Calls For Investigation On Alleged Senator Buba’s Complicity In Banditry
By Khalid Idris Doya
The Nigeria Democratic Front (NDF) has described as unbearable the spiraling insecurity in Nigeria reaching an alarming level, leaving the nation teetering on the brink of collapse.
The NDF National spokesman, Engr Ikenna Ellis-Ezenekwe said in a press statement issued to journalists in Bauchi yesterday, that violence has halted agricultural productivity, while displacing countless farming communities, particularly in the North Central and North-East regions.
Ikenna said: “The incessant violence, kidnappings, and attacks across the country have become unbearable. The devastating consequences of these criminal activities have wreaked havoc on Nigeria’s economy”.
“In fact, the very survival of ordinary Nigerians is now at stake, hence urgent intervention is required. And Nigerians cannot continue to keep quiet over these”, the NDF said in an open letter written to the Senate President, Senator Akpabio
“Mr. Senate President, given the enormity of these challenges, we, the Nigeria Democratic Front (NDF), are compelled to call on your good office to act swiftly in the face of growing allegations of complicity by key political figures”, NDF cries out.
These accusations, according to the group, would if proven reveal a deep-rooted connivance that is fueling the insecurity crisis in the country, stressing that Nigerian people are no longer willing to remain silent in the face of such betrayal.
The group added that, “In the light of the above, Mr. President, we make bold to say that the recent revelations concerning Senator Shehu Buba, representing Bauchi South Senatorial District, are deeply troubling.
“The current allegations linking him to the notorious bandit, Abubakar Idris, who has been declared wanted by security agencies, cast a long and dark shadow over the integrity of the National Assembly.
“This issue becomes even more alarming considering the fact that Senator Buba is holding a very sensitive position as Chairman of the Senate Committee on National Security and Intelligence, a role that places him at the heart of our nation’s security apparatus.”
The group further stated that, “We cannot afford to ignore the seriousness of these accusations. Allowing Senator Buba to continue to head the Senate Committee on National Security and Intelligence while under investigation threatens to undermine any efforts to address Nigeria’s security crisis.
“The potential for further compromise within such a critical position is too great a risk for the nation to bear.”
NDF, therefore, demanded that Senator Shehu Buba be immediately relieved of his duties as Chairman of the Senate Committee on National Security and Intelligence until a thorough and transparent investigation is concluded.
“The Nigerian people are watching closely, and we call on your administration to ensure that the DSS and other relevant law enforcement agencies conduct this investigation with the seriousness and integrity that the situation demands,” the group added.
Senator Buba Umar has since denied all these allegations.
Buba further explained that as chairman of a Senate committee on Security and Intelligence, he has actively championed and supported initiatives aimed at counter-insurgency and anti-banditry which, he said, have begun to yield positive results.
The Senator said he wondered why Governor Bala Mohammed maintained his attacks on President Tinubu, and waging a political war against those of them who dare to question his leadership style.
Buba conclusively stated categorically that he stood firm against what he also described as “baseless allegations”, as he remained committed to his responsibilities as a senator dedicated to Bauchi south senatorial district constituents’ welfare and the nation’s security.
It could be recalled that Governor Bala Abdulkadir Mohammed had written to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu alleging Senator Shehu Buba Umar’s complicity in the raging banditry sweeping across the country for over a decade now.