By Imam Murtadha Gusau
In the Name of Allah, the Most-Merciful
(to His creation), the Ever-Merciful (to His
believing servants)
All praise is due to Allah, Lord of all creation, and may the peace and blessings of Allah be upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family and all his Companions.
Dear brothers and sisters! Senator Shehu Buba Umar, the representative for the Bauchi South Senatorial District, is currently facing severe, recurring allegations linking him to banditry, terrorism financing, and the promotion of insurgents in Northern Nigeria.
The accusations against Senator Shehu Buba Umar—who previously served as the Chairman of the Senate Committee on National Security and Intelligence—have emerged from multiple sources.
For example, Bauchi State Governor Bala Muhammed originally accused Senator Shehu Buba Umar of sponsoring two individuals with known ties to terror activities for the 2024 Hajj pilgrimage. Senator Shehu Buba Umar defended himself by stating that the individuals were selected from a list provided by traditional rulers in his district.
In September 2026, a boy named Hassan released viral video testimonies accusing Senator Shehu Buba Umar of collaborating with notorious bandit networks. The videos allege that Senator Shehu Buba Umar provided the brother of notorious bandit kingpin Dogo Gide with access to specialised in military training, and link him to wanted bandit leader Bello Turji.
Reports indicate that Abubakar Idris, also a suspected terrorist arrested in August 2024, allegedly implicated the Senator Shehu Buba Umar during investigations.
Senator Shehu Buba Umar has vehemently denied all allegations, describing them as baseless, malicious, and politically motivated fabrications engineered to derail his reputation ahead of the 2027 Bauchi State gubernatorial election, where he is running under the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP).
He clarified that some of the smear campaigns stem from a distorted interpretation of a condolence visit he paid to a charcoal sellers attacked in his district, as well as manipulation by political rivals. Senator Shehu Buba Umar has threatened legal action against those distributing the viral videos.
The controversy has triggered a major political and security discussion across Nigeria. Outraged by the terror links, grassroots movements and registered voters within the Bauchi South Senatorial District have initiated a formal petition to recall the senator.
The Supreme Council for Shari’ah in Nigeria (SCSN) has called on the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) and the Department of State Services (DSS) to conduct a transparent, thorough investigation to clear public doubts and protect national security.
Groups like the Bauchi Forum of Gentlemen (BAFOG) have defended Senator Shehu Buba Umar, labeling the reports as smear campaigns aimed at sowing religious and political discord.
Respected brothers and sisters! Allah Almighty addresses the Muslim believers with a timeless rule for social peace in Surah Al-Hujurat, He says in His Glorious Book:
“O you who have believed, if there comes to you a disobedient one with information, investigate, lest you harm a people out of ignorance and become, over what you have done, regretful. And know that among you is the Messenger of Allah. If he were to obey you in much of the matter, you would be in difficulty, but Allah has endeared to you the faith and has made it pleasing in your hearts and has made hateful to you disbelief, defiance and disobedience. Those are the rightly guided.” [Qur’an, 49:6-7]
There are some Qur’anic verses that guide Muslim believers in all places and times. This is especially true when it comes to vital issues that might lead to dangerous consequences including a war and insecurity. It might also destabilise the society or end marriages. To counter these effects, the noble Qur’an sets an important rule that every Muslim believer should adopt.
The Qur’anic verses I recited deal with the issue of the people’s relations whether at home, in the marketplaces, in the clubs, and in the general political, security, and economic spheres.
The Qur’anic verses discuss the issues of the news that people tell one another, which could be individual or social but could also be political and economic. In the past, the only means of spreading news was the direct way from one person to another, but with the development of the media, we now have the radios, the cable network, internet and social media, which have made transmitting all kinds of news, false or true, possible.
Various intelligence agencies benefit from various media to spread rumours that promote their interests and world plans.
These Qur’anic verses warn us of the dangerousness of these news that harm individuals, groups, and the entire nation. Allah the Most High says:
“If there comes to you a disobedient one with information.”
Who is the disobedient? It is the person who transgresses Allah’s limits, the one who does not fear Allah, but follows his instincts, passions, and desires, and feels no responsibility toward the other’s safety or interests. If this wicked person comes up with a story, then you have to verify it with whatever means you have. Ask those whom you trust, and study the evidence. Believing the story, which might be totally false, could make you act negatively towards someone or even boycott him although he is totally innocent. You would be thus wronging him:
“lest you harm a people out of ignorance.”
Then you will repent, and Allah will hold you responsible for your wrong doing.
Such false stories could undermine the relations between people, between brothers or between husband and wife. Saying things the other party did not say or changing what has actually been said might lead to divorce, or turning family life into hell, and even to murder, as members of tribes tend to kill just because somebody accused the wife or sister of infidelity, under the slogan of avenging one’s honour.
Dear brothers and sisters! In Islam, there is a civilised rule based on justice that says:
“The accused is innocent until proven guilty.”
Islam thus has asked for proof and for verifications by means of taking an oath. It is impermissible to rely on rumours or the stories of the untrustworthy.
This is also true with respect to religious, social, and political authorities, whom one might adopt a negative attitude towards as a result of certain rumours. Although such authorities are not above criticism, one should not pass a judgment without any proof.
Allah the Most High says:
“And let not the hatred of a people prevent you from being just. Be just; that is nearer to righteousness.” [Qur’an, 5:8]
We ought to be just in all our judgments even when we hate the people we are dealing with.
In this respect, religious authorities are not infallible, but there are political underpinnings for judging a certain person that he is not qualified to issue fatwas. Moreover, during political fights, contradictory things might be said at the same time just to draw parties nearer or away from one another. Thus, we should have a judging stick even when it comes to security issues. In economic matters, for example, people may try to spread various rumours to raise or lower the prices of stocks, and the same thing goes for all levers of societal life.
Thus, the Qur’anic verse I recited above is a rule that we should always follow: We should not accept anything unless the source is reliable, be it a newspaper, a political party, or an individual… For we should not keep in our minds any convictions that do not benefit our development, our life, and our righteousness.
Fellow brorhers and sisters! We live now in a state of critical and complicated circumstances, especially during the period of elections which is full of rumours and lies. Let this Qur’anic verse be your guide in what you believe in and what you don’t, so as to ensure that you are just in all aspects of life whether personal, social, or political, and so that you defend yourself, before Allah, when nothing does you any good but your good deeds.
Dear servants of Allah! Islamic law establishes that every accused person is presumed innocent until clear evidence proves their guilt before a competent judge. This Islamic rule protects innocent people from unfair punishment and false claims.
Islamic jurisprudence uses the maxim ‘Al-aslu bara’at al-zimmah’, meaning a person is free from liability and innocent by default. The person who makes an accusation must provide solid evidence. The accused does not have to prove they are innocent. Islamic law teaches judges to avoid penalties if any uncertainty or doubt (shubhah) exists in the case.
Therefore an accused person is considered innocent until proven guilty under the Presumption of Innocence legal principle.
The same thing under the Nigerian Constitution, an accused person is legally presumed innocent until proven guilty.
Section 36(5) of the 1999 Constitution states that any person charged with a criminal offense is innocent until proven guilty. An arrest, a criminal charge or an allegation, is not a conviction. The state or prosecutor must prove the guilt of the accused. The prosecution must provide enough clear evidence to convince the court. The accused does not have to prove that they are innocent.
Ya Allah, Ease our crossing of the Sirat and Qantarah (bridges before Paradise).
Ya Allah, Favour us with the ultimate bliss of seeing You in the Hereafter.
Ya Allah, Shield, increase and protect the love/mercy/barakah between us and our spouses for as long as we live.
Ya Allah, Improve our behaviour with each other.
Ya Allah, Reward our spouses with Your best reward, for their striving for our family.
Ya Allah, Make the Qur’an and Your Commands be our judge in all matters.
Ya Allah, Strengthen our practice of the religion together.
Ya Allah, Make us join together in bliss, in Jannatul Firdaus.
Ya Allah, assist us with physical and emotional strength to be a good parents and example to our children.
Ya Allah, Save our children from the impact of our mistakes in their lives.
Ya Allah, Bless us with righteous children.
Ya Allah, Make our children to be the coolness of our eyes and make them to be Sadaqah Jariyah for us and our spouses.
Ya Allah, Make them of those who establish prayer and prostrate only to you.
Ya Allah, Protect our family from evil, from calamities, from enviers and from the shayateen from man and jinn.
Ya Allah, Protect our children from harm, sicknesses, disbelief, haram and destruction.
Ya Allah, Grant our children success in religion, in duniya and Akhirah, and grant us a lineage of righteous offspring until the Day of Resurrection.
Ya Allah, Unite our entire lineage in Jannatul Firdaus.
Ya Allah, Make our children to be workers for Your religion, to be memorisers of Qur’an, to be callers to Allah, to be Imams, to be Islamic scholars and to be shuhada.
Ya Allah, Make them to become the reason for our place in Jannah and shield against the Hellfire.
Ya Allah, save us and our entire family from the Hell Fire and make us to enter Jannatul Firdaus without being accounted.
Ya Allah, you are Al-Gaffar, Forgive our parents.
Ya Allah, Reward them in the greatest measures in this world and the hereafter.
Ya Allah, Elevate their ranks and grant them Jannatul Firdaus.
Ya Allah, Make us coolness of their eyes in their old age.
Ya Allah, Grant our siblings success in this world and the hereafter.
Ya Allah, Elevate the ranks of our parents, our spouse’s parents, our sisters and brothers, our elders and the entire Ummah.
Ya Allah, Protect them from illnesses and difficulties of old age.
Ya Allah, Forgive the sins of those who have passed away in our family and the Ummah – young and old.
Ya Allah, Grant them a peaceful time in the barzakh till they meet You.
Ya Allah, Save us from the trials of Dajjal, from the Yujuj and Majuj and the last Day.
Ya Allah, Grant our family and friends who are waiting for the gift of “children.”
Ya Allah, Unite the hearts of our worldly companions who work for You and strengthen our brotherhood.
Ya Allah, Unite the hearts of those undergoing family/marital difficulties.
Ya Allah, forgive the believing men and the believing women.
Ya Allah, Grant your perfect cure to those who are sick.
Ya Allah, Protect our brothers and sisters across the warzones and from the persecution, rape, slaughter and humiliation.
Ya Allah, Relieve their sufferings and elevate their ranks.
Ya Allah, Bring the downfall of those modern day pharaohs and oppressors, and Relieve those who are deprived, burdened, oppressed, and in debt.
Ya Rahman, La Haulah wa La Quwwata illah Billah. We have none but you and we call on you, protect all the Muslim believers who are going through oppression, hardship, poverty, hunger, pain and trials. Ease for them their affairs and give them good patience. Free all of our captives around the world and give victory to all those who struggle for your cause. Keep them steadfast and firm upon truth. Grant them Jannatul firdaus and victory in this world. Destroy the tawaghit and their allies and bring upon them torment upon torment.
Ya ALLAH, bless the person who forwarded this sermon to others, and make this a source of sadaqah jariyah for him, Ameen.
Ya Allah, answer our prayers and suplications, You are the All Hearing, All Knowing! Ameen Ya Rabb.
All praise is due to Allah, Lord of the worlds. May the peace, blessings and salutations of Allah be upon our noble Messenger, Muhammad, and upon his family, his Companions and his true followers.
Murtadha Muhammad Gusau is the Chief Imam of Nagazi-Uvete Jumu’ah and the late Alhaji Abdur-Rahman Okene’s Mosques, Okene, Kogi State, Nigeria. He can be reached via: gusauimam@gmail.com or +2348038289761 or +2348024192217.
This Jumu’ah Khutbah (Friday sermon) was prepared for delivery today, Friday, Rabi’ul Awwal 29, 1448 AH (September 11, 2026).