Senator Mohammed Ali Ndume has denied media reports suggesting that former Chief of Army Staff, Lt-Gen. Tukur Buratai (rtd), narrowly escaped death during a Boko Haram attack in Borno State last week.
The reports had alleged that Ndume made the claim during a national television appearance on Sunday.
However, in a statement issued on Monday, the Senator representing Borno South described the reports as misleading and a misrepresentation of his remarks.
He clarified that the attack occurred in Buratai town in Borno State, not on the former army chief personally.
“It was Buratai town in Borno State that was attacked, not General Tukur Buratai, who hails from the town in Biu Local Government Area,” Ndume explained.
He noted that insurgents attacked the town near an operations base, adding that although troops repelled the assailants, they managed to destroy military assets.
“Even two days ago, Buratai town was attacked in front of the operations base. The soldiers stood up to them, but they burnt down some of our assets,” he said. “These days they burn Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected Vehicles (MRAPs), tanks, and heavy-duty machine guns, and sometimes they even steal some of them.”
Ndume, a former Senate Leader, has been a vocal advocate for strengthening security in Nigeria’s North-East.
