The Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) has rejected allegations that Senator Shehu Buba Umar is involved in financing terrorism, describing the claims as false, malicious and politically motivated.
MURIC Executive Director, Professor Ishaq Akintola, made the position known in a statement issued on Friday, September 11, 2026, while urging security agencies to investigate the individual behind a viral video in which the senator was accused of links to terrorism.
Akintola said the allegations against Shehu Buba, who represents Bauchi South Senatorial District, were intended to ridicule the lawmaker and damage his reputation.
According to him, Hassan Hussein, whom MURIC identified as the person behind the viral video, should be investigated over what the group described as serious allegations against the senator.
“This allegation is false, malicious and vainglorious. It is calculated to bring Senator Shehu Buba to ridicule,” Akintola said.
He described Shehu Buba as a patriotic politician, arguing that the senator had no motive to turn against the country.
The MURIC director also linked the controversy to the senator’s recent political realignment, noting that Shehu Buba had defected to the People’s Redemption Party (PRP), where he secured the party’s gubernatorial ticket for the 2027 general elections.
Akintola expressed concern over what he described as a growing pattern in which politicians who defect from established political parties or join opposition platforms subsequently face criminal allegations.
“We warn against the growing trend of political defectors and opposition politicians facing post-defection criminal charges,” he said.
He urged political actors and authorities to protect Nigeria’s democratic development by rejecting what he described as political witch-hunts and attempts to use allegations as instruments of blackmail.
MURIC maintained that the allegations against Shehu Buba were unfounded, while calling for restraint and due process in dealing with claims involving terrorism and other serious criminal offences.
