- Council warns against politicizing security
The Supreme Council for Shariah in Nigeria (SCSN) has called on the federal government to provide clarity and conduct a thorough investigation into renewed allegations linking Senator Shehu Buba Umar to acts of banditry and terrorism, while warning against the politicisation of national security matters.
In a statement issued on Monday, September 7, 2026, and signed by its Secretary General, Nafiu Baba Ahmad, mni, the Council said the grave nature of the allegations “has potentially far-reaching implications for national security” and urged caution against “unsubstantiated speculation, and campaigns of calumny.”
Council defends prior engagement with Senator
The Council explained that its engagement with Senator Buba Umar began in late 2023 as part of broader consultations with security institutions on non-kinetic approaches to combating terrorism and banditry.
According to the SCSN, the engagement was in his capacity as then Chairman of the Senate Committee on National Security and Intelligence, and was done in “close coordination with relevant national security institutions, including the Office of the National Security Adviser and the Department of State Services.”
“To the best of our knowledge, such engagements and efforts formed part of legitimate initiatives aimed at supporting the broader national security architecture and were appreciated by the heads of these offices at the highest levels,” the statement said.
The Council recalled that it had publicly defended the Senator when similar allegations first emerged in October 2024, arguing that “serious allegations touching on terrorism and national security must never be treated casually or converted into instruments for settling political scores.”
Call for investigation and clarification
The SCSN is now urging the Office of the National Security Adviser, ONSA, and the Department of State Services, DSS, to “provide Nigerians with necessary clarification regarding the nature and context of their working engagements with Senator Shehu Buba Umar.”
It added that the authorities should “swiftly, thoroughly and independently investigate the renewed allegations and make the outcome known to Nigerians to the extent permitted by law and national security considerations.”
The Council said such clarification would help “separate legitimate security engagements, particularly those relating to approved non-kinetic approaches, from malicious attempts to distort or misrepresent such engagements for political purposes.”
Reaffirming its long-standing position, the SCSN said it has consistently condemned terrorism, kidnapping, and banditry, and stressed that “every innocent life is sacred, whether Muslim, Christian or of any other faith or background.”
“Kidnapping, murder, destruction of communities and all forms of terror can never be justified by religion, ethnicity, politics or any other consideration,” it stated.
The Council further called on political actors, the media, civil society and the public to “exercise responsibility and restraint,” noting that while credible allegations must be investigated, “unsubstantiated accusations must not be allowed to become weapons for character assassination or political witch-hunts.”
“We therefore urge the relevant security authorities to act decisively and transparently in resolving the issues surrounding these renewed allegations, so that Nigerians may know the facts and the nation’s attention can remain focused on the far more urgent task of defeating terrorism, banditry and insecurity in all their forms,” the statement said.
