Contrary to viral reports of massive terrorist attack on the former Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen.Tukur Yusuf Buratai (retd.) in Borno State, the lawmaker representing Borno South, Senator Ali Ndume, on Monday, said the report attributed to him was a misrepresentation.
Ndume, a former Senate Leader, made the clarification in a statement he issued in Abuja on Monday, saying the ‘Buratai’ he referred to was a town in Biu Local Government Area of the state and not the retired Army Chief who, incidentally, shares the same surname with the location.
The senator had featured as a guest on Channels Television’s flagship political programme, Politics Today on Sunday, where he raised serious concern about the flaring insecurity in the North East.
He had, in response to a question from the anchor, Seun Okinbaloye, referenced a fierce exchange of gunfire between terrorists and troops when the former attacked Buratai last Friday.
“We are in a dire security situation,” Ndume had lamented on the show. “Just two days ago, Buratai was attacked at the front operations base in Borno. “Some soldiers responded gallantly, but the insurgents managed to destroy several military assets.
“The attackers reportedly targeted high-value equipment, including Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected Vehicles (MRAPVs), tanks, and machine guns.”
Ndume also disclosed that the terrorists not only destroyed the valuable military assets, they also carted away weapons and equipment.
The story, which erroneously referred to the former Chief of Army Staff as the target of the attack, burned the social media like wild fire in harmattan, with Nigerians expressing diverse opinions.
But barely 24 hours after the interview, Ndume came out with the clarification that he was not referring to Lt. Gen.Tukur Yusuf Buratai.
“It was Buratai town in Borno state that was attacked, not the person of the erstwhile Chief of Army Staff,” Ndume said.
The Crest recalls that the immediate past Chief of Army Staff hails from the same Buratai town in Biu Local Government Area of Borno State.
General Buratai served under President Muhammadu Buhari as Chief of Army Staff between 2015 and 2021, and was a strong pillar in Nigeria’s campaign against insurgency and terrorism. Even in retirement, the General remains very influential in security circles across the country.
