Banditry Funding Allegations: Group Raises Alarm Over Bauchi’s Image

From Paul Orude, Bauchi

A civil society organisation, Bauchi Citizens Action for Change (BCAC), has raised concerns over what it described as reputational damage to Bauchi State following allegations linking the state government to the funding of banditry.

The group spoke on Saturday during a press briefing at the CFA Hotel, Bauchi, amid ongoing investigations by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) into alleged financial transactions involving persons suspected of banditry-related activities.

BCAC Chairman, Mohammad Ladan Adamu, said Bauchi State was being portrayed nationally and internationally as a state allegedly governed by individuals involved in banditry financing, a situation he said had caused anxiety among residents.

He noted that statements attributed to the EFCC had altered public perception of the state, leading to stigmatisation of its citizens across the country.

Adamu said the allegations were overshadowing Bauchi’s historical identity as a centre of scholarship, reform, and nationalist struggle, recalling that the state produced notable figures such as Malam Sa’adu Zungur and Nigeria’s first Prime Minister, Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa.

He described as dangerous what he called generalisations suggesting that banditry funding had become a defining feature of governance in Bauchi State, insisting that such claims were insulting to law-abiding citizens.

While urging that the issue should not be trivialised, Adamu cautioned against politicising allegations bordering on terrorism financing, stressing that such matters required transparency and cooperation with investigative authorities.

The group raised questions over alleged transfers of public funds to Bello Badejo, who is under EFCC investigation, calling on the state government to explain the purpose of the transactions and whether any legitimate contracts were involved.

“These are issues of public accountability, not politics,” Adamu said.

He also defended the former Secretary to the Bauchi State Government, Barrister Ibrahim Mohammed Kashim, noting that he resigned voluntarily and acted in the public interest by cooperating with investigators.

BCAC called on the Bauchi State Government and its supporters to allow the EFCC and the courts to carry out their constitutional duties without interference.

The group noted that Bello Badejo remains under investigation, while the Commissioner for Finance, Yakubu Adamu, has also been linked to the probe, stressing that only a transparent judicial process can restore public confidence and protect the image of Bauchi State.