Retired Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Tukur Buratai, narrowly escaped a deadly ambush on Friday when his convoy came under heavy gunfire in Borno State, in what is suspected to be an attack by Boko Haram insurgents.
The incident was revealed by Senator Ali Ndume, who represents Borno South, during an appearance on Politics Today, a Channels Television programme, on Sunday evening. According to Ndume, Buratai and the soldiers accompanying him were ambushed near a frontline military base.
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“A serious attack occurred just two days ago at a forward operations base where Buratai was present,” Ndume said. “His team fought back bravely, but the insurgents managed to inflict significant damage.”
The attackers reportedly targeted high-grade military assets, including Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected Vehicles (MRAPs), tanks, and machine guns. Ndume noted that the insurgents not only destroy equipment but also loot valuable weaponry during such assaults.
He warned that the security situation in Borno is spiraling out of control. “Insurgents are moving around with impunity, burning and stealing military equipment. It’s becoming a full-scale crisis,” he said.
Ndume also painted a grim picture of the broader national security landscape, stating that violence, banditry, and economic sabotage now plague all six geopolitical zones of Nigeria.
“From terrorism in the North-East to oil theft in the South-South, insecurity is spreading fast. As it stands, only the South-West seems relatively stable,” he added.
The attack on Buratai comes amid growing public pressure for the federal government to urgently revamp the country’s security strategy, especially in the North-East, where Boko Haram and ISWAP continue to operate with alarming boldness.
Buratai, who served as Nigeria’s Chief of Army Staff from 2015 to 2021, was a key figure in the nation’s fight against insurgency and remains a respected voice in military and security affairs.
