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A Nigerian civil society organisation, the Rural Community Development Outreach (RCDO), has called for an urgent probe into alleged terrorism ties of Senator Shehu Buba, representing Bauchi South.
In a letter addressed to the United States Consulate General, the group expressed concern over national security implications if the allegations prove true.
RCDO’s petition, signed by National Coordinator Ikenna Ellis Ezenekwe, alleges that Senator Buba may be linked to terrorism sponsorship, pointing to ongoing investigations by Nigeria's Department of State Services (DSS).
“We have witnessed the devastating impact of terrorism in Nigeria, particularly in the North East, for over seventeen years. If these allegations are true, they represent a betrayal of national trust,” the letter stated.
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The petition details a recent DSS raid in Bauchi State where Abubakar Idris, a known terror suspect, was apprehended.
The arrest, according to RCDO, occurred shortly before Idris’s planned pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia.
As reported by Arise TV, the DSS investigation reportedly uncovered links between Senator Buba’s office and Idris’s travel plans, suggesting the Senator’s staff may have expedited Idris’s travel documentation.
“This revelation is particularly alarming because Senator Buba serves as the Chairman of the Senate Committee on National Security and Intelligence,” RCDO noted, adding, “How can we trust our national security to someone whose alleged actions may be aiding those who threaten the survival of our country?”
Call for visa ban
The group urged US authorities to suspend Senator Buba’s entry visa, a move they say would limit any potential influence he might wield internationally.
RCDO argued this step would be a “precautionary measure to safeguard international security.”
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The petition also criticised the government’s silence, claiming both President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Senate President Godswill Akpabio are aware of the DSS inquiry.
RCDO demanded greater transparency and impartial handling of the investigation, stating that “accountability at the highest levels of governance is crucial if we are to reclaim peace in our country.”
The organisation closed with an appeal to the international community to support Nigeria’s anti-terrorism efforts, emphasising, “Our rural areas bear the heaviest burden of this unrelenting violence. We owe it to our citizens to stand firm against anyone who might be contributing to their suffering, directly or indirectly.”