Police Arrest TikToker In Abuja Over Alleged Defamation Of Senator Shehu Buba
The Nigeria Police Force has arrested popular TikTok content creator, Ishaq Abubakar Major, in Abuja over a viral video accusing Senator Shehu Buba, representing Bauchi South Senatorial District, of having ties with bandit groups.
SaharaReporters gathered that Major was picked up by operatives of the Force Criminal Investigation Department (FCID) at Maraba-Nyanya junction and is currently being detained at the FCID headquarters in Abuja.
The police are yet to issue an official statement on the arrest.
The arrest followed a series of viral videos and posts in which Major alleged that Senator Buba was compromised and unfit for public office because of his alleged connections with armed criminal gangs.
In August, the senator, who chairs the Senate Committee on National Security and Intelligence, came under criticism over several controversies, including an alleged peace deal with wanted terror kingpin Bello Turji, accusations of fuelling religious tensions in Plateau State, and past claims of sponsoring wanted bandits to the Hajj pilgrimage.
He was also accused in Plateau State of stoking sectarian conflict by allegedly funding the construction of a new Juma’at mosque in Zinariya, just a few metres from the long-established Abu Huraira Juma’at Mosque belonging to the Dariqa Sufi Brotherhood.
The new mosque, reportedly for the Jama’atul Izalatul Bidi’a Wa’ikamatus Sunnah faction led by Sheikh Abdullahi Bala Lau, has raised fears of violent clashes between the groups. Reports also alleged that Buba demolished a church in the area to pave way for the mosque, a move condemned by Christian residents as provocative and disrespectful.
His involvement in a proposed peace treaty with Bello Turji has equally faced backlash.
The deal, reportedly brokered by Kaduna-based cleric Sheikh Musa Asadus-Sunnah, was criticised by clerics and rights groups who insisted Turji should face justice for mass killings, kidnappings, rape, and destruction across the North-West.
Northern preacher, Sheikh Murtala Asadah, strongly opposed the initiative, warning that it could cost President Bola Tinubu political support in the North ahead of 2027.
Constituents in Bauchi South also criticised Buba for abandoning an unfinished mosque project in Toro while funding the one in Jos.
In one of the viral videos, Major said, “This newspaper described Senator Buba as a senator that has a relationship with bandits. What I want people to understand is that Senator Shehu Buba is a senator from Bauchi. There is no newspaper that would publish false allegations against him without taking them to court, because he has the money to do so, and he also has ambition of governorship.
“But because he knows the allegations are not false, that is why he has not gone to court. Up until now, he has not spoken about it because he knows that if he speaks, evidence will be brought forward, and it will affect his ambition to become the Governor of Bauchi State.”
Titilope Adako is a talented and intrepid journalist, dedicated to shedding light on the untold stories of Osun State and Nigeria. Through incisive reporting, she tackles a broad spectrum of topics, from politics and social justice to culture and entertainment, with a commitment to accuracy, empathy, and inspiring positive change.
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