‘YOU ARE DEAD MAN’: NIGERIAN INFLUENCER D ENGLISH ALHAJI RECEIVES DEATH THREAT AFTER INTERVIEW ON SENATOR SHEHU BUBA

Nigerian social media influencer D English Alhaji has reported receiving a death threat following his recent interview and social media activities concerning allegations linking Senator Shehu Buba Umar, representing Bauchi South Senatorial District, to individuals accused of involvement in banditry.

D English Alhaji, who has frequently used his social media platforms to discuss insecurity and alleged criminal activities across Nigeria, disclosed the latest threat on social media after receiving a telephone call from an unidentified individual.

The influencer also shared an audio recording of the conversation, in which the caller repeatedly questioned him about his activities and alleged association with the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).

During the recorded conversation, the caller reportedly warned the influencer, telling him, “You are dead man,” after challenging him over his public activities.

D English Alhaji asked the caller to identify himself and explain who had sent him. Instead, the caller reportedly directed him to check a text message, suggesting that the message would provide information about the person or people behind the call.

Following the incident, the influencer published the recording online and described it as another threat to his life. He also stated that he would not be intimidated from continuing to speak about insecurity and other issues affecting Nigerians.

The latest threat reportedly came after D English Alhaji published material concerning Senator Shehu Buba and allegations surrounding the senator’s alleged relationship with suspected bandits.

The controversy escalated after the influencer circulated videos which he claimed showed suspected bandit kingpins visiting the senator’s residence. The claims were subsequently discussed in an interview with a resident identified as Hassan Husseini, who made further allegations concerning the senator.

Husseini reportedly alleged that Senator Buba was among politicians assisting bandits in the area and claimed that individuals associated with notorious bandit kingpin Dogo Gide had been brought to Abuja for specialised training allegedly facilitated by an aide to the senator.

However, Senator Shehu Buba has strongly denied the allegations, describing the claims and viral videos as part of what he called a sustained campaign of disinformation and character assassination.

In a statement issued on Sunday, the senator said the allegations being circulated online were false and insisted that the videos being presented as evidence of meetings between him and bandit kingpins had been taken out of context.

Buba said some of the viral footage consisted of unrelated videos that had been combined and presented as evidence of criminal associations.

According to the senator, one of the videos showed Hajj returnees from Kaduna who visited his residence in 2023, while another clip showed different individuals displaying passports. He said the people appearing in the separate videos were not the same individuals and that the material had been misleadingly presented as evidence of bandits visiting his home.

The senator also addressed the person identified as Hassan Husseini, saying the young man had previously been introduced to him as an orphan in need of educational assistance.

Buba said he subsequently assisted Husseini by enrolling him in a private college and an Islamic school in Kaduna and providing him with a bicycle. He alleged that Husseini later abandoned his education and requested financial assistance to establish a car dealership.

According to the senator, he declined the request and advised the young man to return to school.

Buba further alleged that Husseini had, while under his care, recorded photographs and videos of visitors to his residence. The senator claimed that some of those materials later became the basis of allegations circulated online.

The senator said the controversy surrounding the videos eventually led to what he described as demands for money from individuals involved in circulating the materials.

Buba stated that he petitioned the Nigeria Police Force on September 9, 2025, following the alleged extortion attempts. He said several individuals were arrested and investigated.

He further stated that five suspects were arraigned before the Federal High Court in Abuja on October 30, 2025, over allegations including criminal conspiracy, cyberstalking, criminal defamation, advance-fee fraud and extortion.

The senator said the matter remains before the court and that the next hearing is scheduled for September 29, 2026.

Buba has previously faced allegations linking him to banditry, which he has consistently denied. In his latest response, he said the controversy dates back to an incident in September 2024 involving a militia group allegedly operating as hunters for the Bauchi State Agency for Vigilante and Youth Empowerment.

He said two charcoal sellers were reportedly killed during the incident and that, as the elected senator representing the area, he visited the victims’ families and called for justice.

Buba alleged that following his intervention, his name was subsequently linked to banditry by the Bauchi State Commissioner for Internal Security and Home Affairs, Abubakar Bununu.

The senator also recalled previous allegations that he sponsored a suspected bandit kingpin to attend the 2024 Hajj. He denied the allegation and said he had invited security agencies to investigate the claim.

He said he had also taken legal action over some of the allegations, including filing a defamation case at the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory.

Buba maintained that his activities as a senator had involved both security oversight and community interventions, arguing that his approach to tackling insecurity included military operations as well as intelligence gathering, community engagement, dialogue and other non-kinetic measures.

He said some of his activities could not be publicly discussed because revealing sensitive information or the identities of individuals involved in security operations could place them at risk.

The senator further alleged that his decision to leave the All Progressives Congress and pursue a governorship ambition under the Peoples Redemption Party had intensified political attacks against him.

He accused unnamed individuals of using old allegations, edited videos and social media posts to create what he described as a false narrative about his activities.

Buba said public officials should be subjected to scrutiny but argued that criticism must be based on verifiable facts rather than unsubstantiated allegations.

Meanwhile, the reported threat against D English Alhaji has added another dimension to the controversy, raising concerns over the safety of individuals using social media platforms to discuss insecurity and allegations involving politically exposed persons.

The identity of the person who made the threatening telephone call has not been independently established, and there is currently no public evidence confirming who was behind the threat.

D English Alhaji has nevertheless maintained that the threat will not stop him from discussing issues concerning insecurity and alleged criminal activities.

The development comes amid heightened public debate over banditry, political accountability and the role of social media influencers in exposing alleged criminal networks.

While allegations concerning Senator Shehu Buba remain disputed, the senator has publicly denied any involvement with bandits and has challenged those making the allegations to provide verifiable evidence.

Street News Reporters will continue to monitor the matter, including any investigation into the reported death threat against D English Alhaji and further developments in the allegations involving Senator Shehu Buba.