Burutai town was attacked, not Ex-COAS, Ndume clarifies 9th June

 

The lawmaker representing Borno South, Senator Ali Ndume, on Monday clarified that an earlier report attributed to him regarding an attack on former Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen.Tukur Buratai (retd.) in Borno State was misrepresented.

 

The former Senate Leader clarified this speculation in a statement he signed on Monday in Abuja.

 

According to him, the ‘Buratai’ he referred to was a town in Biu Local Government Area of the state and not the ex-chief who shares the same surname with the place.

 

Ndume, who featured as a guest during an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Sunday, had raised concerns about the escalating insecurity in the region.

 

While revealing the extent of killings in the area, he added that a fierce exchange of gunfire ensued between the attackers and soldiers when they attacked Buratai last Friday.

 

While on the show, Ndume lamented, “We are in a dire security situation

“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 added that the insurgents not only destroy these assets but also cart away weaponry and equipment.

 

Barely 24 hours after his interview, the senator clarified his earlier statement, saying he wasn’t referring to the immediate past Chief of Army Staff.

 

“It was Buratai town in Borno state that was attacked, not the person of the erstwhile Chief of Army Staff,” he clarified.

 

Incidentally, the former service chief also hails from the same Buratai town in Biu Local Government Area of Borno State.

 

Buratai served as Nigeria’s Chief of Army Staff from 2015 to 2021 and was a central figure in the country’s counterinsurgency campaign.

 

Since his retirement, he has remained an influential figure in security circles.