The Traffic

🔥 Storm Over Shehu Buba: Terror Links, Church Demolition, and Sectarian Tensions Rock Senator’s Image

Senator Shehu Umar Buba (APC–Bauchi South), Chairman of the Senate Committee on National Security and Intelligence, is battling a wave of controversies that cut across religion, security, and politics — from alleged ties to a wanted terror kingpin to accusations of stoking sectarian rivalry in Jos.

🔹 Sectarian Flashpoint in Plateau
In Jos, Plateau State, Senator Buba is accused of fuelling simmering tensions between two rival Islamic sects by bankrolling the construction of a multi-million-naira Juma’at mosque just a stone’s throw from the Abu Huraira Mosque of the Dariqa Sufi Brotherhood. The new mosque, for the Izala faction led by Sheikh Abdullahi Bala Lau, has raised fears of violent clashes given the sects’ history of combative preaching.

The project has sparked outrage beyond the Muslim community, with claims that Buba demolished a church in Zinariya to make way for the mosque — a move local Christians have branded deeply provocative. Critics in his home constituency say he has left a mosque project in Toro abandoned while focusing on Jos.

🔹 Controversial Peace Deal With Bello Turji
Buba is also under fire for allegedly backing a peace deal with Bello Turji, a notorious bandit accused of mass killings, kidnappings, and arson across the North-West. The plan, reportedly facilitated by Kaduna cleric Sheikh Musa Asadus-Sunnah, has been denounced by prominent scholars, including Sheikh Murtala Asadah, who argue Turji should face trial, not pardon.

Some APC loyalists claim Buba’s alleged closeness to opposition figure Atiku Abubakar casts doubt on his loyalty to the ruling party, describing him as a “mole” undermining the APC from within.

🔹 Past Allegations Resurface
In October 2024, the DSS reportedly investigated Buba over claims he helped facilitate Hajj travel for wanted Zamfara bandit Abubakar Idris. Security sources alleged Idris was registered via Buba’s legislative aide before being arrested during the pilgrimage processing stage. The senator has denied wrongdoing, insisting he had no aide by the name mentioned and that the arrest occurred without interference from his office.

🔹 Hostility at Home
Discontent boiled over in Toro on May 23, 2025, when angry youths confronted the senator during a condolence visit, chanting “Bamayi” (“We’re done with you”). They accused him of neglecting the community and sabotaging military recruitment opportunities for locals. Attempts to calm the crowd with cash reportedly failed, with residents demanding development, not handouts.

🔹 Senator’s Response
Buba has dismissed all allegations as politically motivated “fabrications” aimed at discrediting his work. He maintains his record in anti-banditry efforts speaks for itself and says he “cannot be intimidated” by what he calls baseless attacks.

By Haruna Yakubu Haruna